This Sensei is Mine!
by Knight Kunoichi
Summary: Collection of stories between our favourite shinobis and kunoichis and their loving senseis. Threw sweat, blood and tears their mentors stay by their side. Shamelessly fluff, because we all know how they really are inside. Please read and review
1. This Hurting Boy of Mine

Set after Sasuke's and Naruto's battle at the hospital rooftop. What did happen after Kakashi sent his students flying? This is the aftermath…

Kakashi couldn't believe in his ears. Or maybe he isn't thinking straight right now. Yes, must be a heatstroke or stress or something. He couldn't be here, standing in front of a screaming Naruto, not even five minutes after he put their fight to an end.

"BAKA! What did you do? Why did you that! BAKA!" The kid is red from the screaming, a large bump in his head, angry tears down his whiskered cheeks.

"Naruto, stop screaming. And let me see your head." Kakashi took a few deep breaths, trying not to snap at the kid.

"I'm okay, you baka! I'm not the one you should be worrying about"

Kakashi's visible eye widened with surprise. "So I should worried with..?"

"SASUKE TEME! You don't know what day is today? Are you a complete moron?"

"NARUTO! STOP IT! That is no way to talk with your sensei! I know I'm laidback and easy going but enough is enough! Lower your voice and stop insulting me" Kakashi's patience hits its end.

Naruto hangs is head in shame "Sorry, Kakashi-sensei" He mumbles. "But today is the…the anniversary, you know…? The massacre and all that.."

"Oh shit…" Kakashi sighs.. What had he done? He just threw his emotional hurt student across a rooftop, scold him and send him home. Alone. In the anniversary of the worst day of his life.

He can't believe how stupid he was… His student… His 13 year old student… Just a child. A child so hurt, in so much pain. He has to go after him…

"Naruto…. Are you sure you are okay?"

"Yes, go! Go after him! He needs you…" Kakashi takes a moment to look at this kid. The kid everybody hated because of what is inside him. The kid who were alone all his life. Standing here, selflessly asking him to go after his other kid who attacked the previous one…

Wait… "His kid"? Since when had he start thinking about them as "his"? Oh, this is not time for dat.

"Okay" Kakashi jumps from the hospital rooftop and speeds across the city.

The minute he arrives at Sasuke's door stop, he hears it. Things hitting the walls, feet stomping and a heartbreaking scream.

"CUZO! I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Kakashi's storms threw the door. Years of training did nothing to help him conceal his emotions. Nothing to prevent his heart to shatter in his chest.

His stoic boy, who never cries or shows any emotion, not even when he is in pain, his lying in the floor, sobbing his heart out, shaking so much that it looks that he is having a seizure.

Without a second thought, Kakashi picks the boy in his arms cradling like a toddler. He stands there, in the middle of the trashed living room, rocking his boy back and forth, rubbing soothing circles in his head, whispering sweet non-senses in his ear.

"It's okay, it's okay. I got you. I'm here now. I'm not leaving. I'm here, baby, I'm here" Baby? What is he talking about? This kid is a powerful shinobi, able to kill someone if he wants. But not of that means nothing right now. The only thing that matters is to calm the kid.

"Sensei?" Sasuke's voice is strained and choked "Why are you here?"

Despite his shock and probably embarrassment, he doesn't pull away of his sensei's embrace. Actually, he clings tightly to him, legs wrapped in his waist, arms around his neck.

"Because you need me…" Kakashi's voice is gentle and caring. "I know what day is today. I'm so sorry, Sasuke. I was an idiot to let you train like that without even realize it…"

Sasuke lifts his head from his shoulder and tries to pull away. "It's okay… It's not you job anyaway".

Kakashis hugs him closer and sits on the couch, sitting the boy in his lap. He sighs at the sight. Sasukes face is red and blotchy, tears and snot running down his cheeks, eyes blood shot from all the crying. But what brakes him the most is the painful look in his eyes. No child should have that empty, pained look in his eyes. So full of hurt and loneliness. No child should have this look…especially his kid.

"Sasuke… my job is to take care of you tree. Both physically and mentally. I told you to come to me when you need it. Why didn't you tell me something? Why are you here, crying all alone?"

"I… I don't want you to see me like that… I'm…weak" Sasuke hides his face in shame, in the first place he could found. Ironically, it's in his sensei's shoulder.

Kakashi can't help but chuckled at the childish gesture. After all the kid is just…a kid.

"You are anything but weak, kid. And even if you feel like that right now, it's okay. IT's an awful hard day for you, your best friend pushed you to the limit and your idiot sensei threw you across a roof. You deserve" to feel weak" Kakashi cradles the boy and rubs his back.

"You are not an idiot…" Sasuke whispers from his spot, still hiding in the crook of his sensei's neck.

"Yes, I am. And everyone in the village knows that, after Naruto screamed that at me."

"Teme" Sasuke chuckles.

"Yeah, he is, but he was right. I should be here, not there"

"You are here now…"

"I am… And I'm not leaving"

Sasuke sighs. Kakashi feels his breath in his neck , the tears starting to fall again. In seconds, the boy is reduced to a sobbing mess again. It takes a minute to Kakashi realize that the kid is talking with him. He stops mid stroking to ask him to repeat himself.

"The nightmares… I'm so tired… And they don't stop… Please, make them stop, sensei… Please… I can't take it anymore"

"Shhhh, kid, I know, I know. I know how it feels. I'm here, ok? Just try to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. You don't have to be afraid." Kakashi starts to rock the kid back and forth again, rubbing his back, whispering in his ear.

He feels the sobs subsiding, Sasuke's breathing slowing down, his muscles relaxing in his sensei's arms.

Sasuke feels safe for the first time in years. He feels so warm and comfortable and protected. He knows that Kakashi can protect him from everything, even from bad dreams. So he drifts of to sleep, sighing contently one last time, before it.

And right before sleep claims him he whispers "I love you, Kashi…"

Kakashi smiles and whispers back "I love you too, my boy… I love you too…"


	2. This Insecure Boy of Mine

Kurenai smiles looking at her team. Most of the people don't understand them. They think that they are just three kids working under the supervision of the same sensei.

What people doesn't know is that they a close knit. They are really close friends. They balance and strength each other. She sees that clearly. The way that sweet and gentle Hinata calms down the hot tempered Kiba. How level headed and pratical Shino gives them advices. The laughs and smiles Kiba stoles from them with his antics and funny stories.

They work together as a team. They care for each other, they get concerned about the others. They ruffle each other's hair and run around like kids. The boys respect and love their girl. The girl cares so deeply about them that Kurenai found her hugging Shino one time!

And today, she knows that something had happened. Something is amiss. And Kurenai is concerned.

The day started off like all the other days. When she arrived at the training ground, they are already working. Hinata is trying to find Shino's bugs with her Byakugan and Kiba is jumping on the trees with Akamaru.

She let them be, because she knows how they train. She offers encouragement words to Hinata, advices to Shino and keeps an eye on Kiba and Akamaru until lunch time.

And that's when she discovers that something is odd…

Kiba sits with his dog a few feet from his teammates and sensei. That's odd. That kid is always invading someone's personal space. Shino complains all the time about that and Hinata blushes furiously every time he lays his head on her lap. Even Kurenai is a target for the dog-owner rough affectionate gestures.

But not today. Today, he is sulking all alone, picking at his food, giving it to Akamaru instead of eating himself. When the other two go out for a walk, after lunch, he stays there, sighing.

Enough is enough. Kurenai gets up and sits by him, stroking Akamaru's head.

"What's up, kiddo?" She asks, never looking at him, pretending to be busy with his dog. She knows that if she looks at him, he'll never talk.

"Nothing…"

"You are awfully quiet today… And why are you sitting here alone?"

"That's… just thinking, Ii guess…"

"Don't hurt yourself thinking too much! You'll turn into Shikamaru if you continue that way…"

"Maybe it wouldn't be that bad…" Kiba sighs.

"Hum? I don't even play shogi! And I'll NOT ask Asuma to teach me that! Not even for your sake!" Kurenai winks at him.

Kiba laughs "Yeah, you have better things to do with him than learn that boring game…" He teases his sensei.

"Watch it, kid! I can hurt if I wanted too." Kurenai smirks, showing that she's not mad. "So, tell me, what's the problem? Trust me, you can talk"

"It's just… I don't know…" Kiba looks at his hands, before pulling his knees up and hide his head in them. "Am I enough, Kurenai-sensei?" He whispers.

"Enough? Enough of what?" Kurenai is surprise. Her boy doesn't act like this. He's never this quiet, even when he is upset. He shouts his frustration or anger or sadness at the top of his longs. He screams, he cusses, he punches trees until he let it all out. And then, he'll come to her or Hinata, lay his head on their shoulders or lap, cover his eyes with his arms and cries. Not everyone knows that, it's their little secret, between the four of them. He cries, while one of the girls strokes his hair, until he falls asleep. That's his routine. Not this shy, silent sulking thing…

"Good enough, I guess… Good enough for you, I mean…"

"For me? Why are you asking?" Kurenai is completely surprised. That's other thing about Kiba: he never, ever doubts himself, not even for a minute. It's an Inuzuka thing. They are an obnoxiously loud, brute, self-confident clan. And being from a house with two women, this boy is a spoiled prince. He'll never confess that, always complaining about his mother and sister, but they spoiled him at the same rate they scolded him. He never went to bed without hearing how perfect he is. So he is a pretty self-assured boy.

"For you, for the team, for the village… Am I good enough?"

"What is this all about? Of course you are enough! More than enough actually!" Kurenai strokes his hair. "Look at me, sweety. Come on, that's no way to have this conversation"

He slowly looks up at her and she sees the tears that he's trying to conceal. "Oh puppy, come here" She pulls him into her arms. "Why are you all worked up like that? Who did tell you that you are not good enough?"

Kiba sniffs, trying to hold the tears. "I overheard someone talking to mom. Saying that I'll never be a good enough shinobi. Because…" He hesitates. Kurenai gently squeezes him tighter to encourage him. "Because I'm always surrounded by women… He said that I'm all coddle and soft and overprotected… He said I'll be a pussy…" Kiba whispers the last sentence, blushing a little.

Kurenai is shocked! How can someone be so cruel to a child! And this "macho" thing? Is just plain disgusting! He is a kid, for Kami sake! Yes, he is a shinobi and he trains and works like that, but he is still a 12 year old kid who needs to be loved and protected!

"And what did you mom respond to that?" She tries to remain calm and collected; the boy is so upset that he could misinterpreted her fury as being towards him instead of that chauvinist pig.

"She screamed at him, saying that you are a great shinobi and that the Hokage is the strongest kunoichi in the world, stronger than a lot of men and that she didn't need a lame excuse of a father to raise to awesome kids and a pack of nin-dogs." Kiba snorts at the memory.

"See? She thinks that you are awesome. And I think that too." Kurenai smiles. "Look, you'll have a long way to go, a long train to endure. You don't become a great shinobi from day to night. It takes a lot of hard work. But you are good at what you do. You are smart, have great instincts and you are a great team player. You wear your heart at your sleeve and you'll need to learn to control your temper, but I don't have doubts that you'll be a great shinobi and an even greater man someday. And that you definitely are not a pussy! Akamaru would hate you if you were. Right, Akamaru?" The puppy barks and wigs his tail, jumping to his owner lap.

Kiba smiles, leaning in his sensei's embrace. "Thanks… But he has a point, you know? I don't have any male figures around… I'm afraid I don't know how to…how to behave like one…" He blushes and fiddles with the dog's ears. "Like this… Is this appropriated? Being here, with you cuddling me? I'm 12, not a kid anymore…"

"And you think that grown man don't like cuddles?" Kurenai smiles, thinking about the way Asuma curls in her embrace, purring in contempt like a child… Wait, that's not an appropriate thought right now!

"Maybe…" He blushes deep red before confessing "you know? Sometimes I still sleep with nee-chan… When I have…nightmares… Or is a storm outside… It's really loud on my ears" He tries to justify.

Kurenai pulls him closer, reassuring him. This kid… He's always a surprise, you never know what to expect. Under that tough act that he puts on, there is a sweet loving boy that only a handful of people had the privilege to know. "And what's the problem? I'm not found of storms, either and you know that. It's okay to be afraid and to seek comfort. You'll always need a comforting hand, even when you'll be a grown up strong shinobi. And if you are afraid that you aren't being "mainly" enough, you have lots of men that you can seek for help. Iruka and Kakashi and Asuma are there for you, even Gai." She cringes a little at the thought, that man… "That's the pact we made when we become your senseis. I would lend a hand to them when they have "girl issues" to deal and they would help with the boys. And they all own me BIG time! Trust me!" She smirks at him, knowing that he gets the joke.

"So it's okay to come to you or to nee-chan when I'm upset or something? You know, like if it is a storm or if I'm really tired…" Kurenais understands the reference, he always become clingy and cuddly when he is tired or sleepy… He's still such a child…

"Yes, it is. And it'll always be okay. Remember: grown men do that, trust me!"

"Yeah, I get how you know that" He teases her. She slaps him lightly and hugs him tighter, letting him resting his head on her shoulder. "Thanks, Kurenai-sensei…"

"I'm always here, puppy, always here…"

They stay like that until the other two arrive from their walk and join them. Shino sits beside Kurenai and Hinata curles herself under Kiba's arm, snuggling close to him, until the three fall asleep.

Kurenai smiles at her kids, sleeping together, curled around her like a bunch of puppies. Yes, most people don't know how they work, but they know better. They are a close knit…


	3. This Frightened Boy of Mine

**Set during time skip. Sorry for the shameless fluff!**

* * *

Naruto sits straight in his bed and fists the sheets, desperately trying to calm himself. This time, the nightmare was bad. Really, really bed. For a moment, he doesn't know where he is. He looks around until his gaze drops on the other sleeping figure in the room. His white hair shines in the moonlight. Jiraya… Seeing the senin there, sleeping peacefully tranquilizes the boy for a moment. Until he realizes something…

Naruto has a little problem. And tries his hardest to keep said problem as a secret. Few people knows about that. Kakashi knows because he has to. Tsunade knows because she tried to help him. Probably, his old teammates know, but they never said a word about it.

But he tried his best to hide it from Jiraya… And now, his mentor is about to find out. And he'll laugh at him and send him home, for sure. And probably tell his secret to everyone.

Shame flooded the boy and he can't keep from crying. Silent sobs escape from his lips and he shakes violently. He feels sick to his stomach.

"Naruto… Kid, what happened? Nightmare?". He feel the gentle touch on his shoulder and flinches.

"No-nothing… I-I-I'm okay" The boy stuttered and tries not to gag, swallowing the not in his throat.

"Naruto.. You are far from okay… Talk to me. Did you have a nightmare? Do you want me to turn on the lights?" Jiraya remembers when his other students are in this age. They all went throw the nightmare phase. They are old enough to know that the monsters are real and too young to deal with them. That conflict always manifests in nightmares and night terrors. He remembers that Minato only slept holding Jiraya's hand when they were on missions…

"NO! DON'T TURN ON THE LIGHT!" The boy's scream startles the old shinobi.

"Okay, kid, calm down. What's the problem" That's weird, his older students would beg to sleep with lights on or a flashlight inside their sleeping bad. He scoots closer to the upset boy and feels something that makes him understands his distress.

"Naruto… Did you wet the bed?" Jiraya spokes quietly and as soft as he can, trying to sound like everything is okay, but to no avail. The boy freaks out. He sobs so hard that starts to hyperventilate and gag, tears running down his whiskered cheeks, shaking so violently that he barely can sit.

"Okay, okay, kiddo, come on, don't do that. Breath, just breath for me. Naruto, come on, listen to me. Everything is okay. You don't have to feel bad. It's fine, just breath."

The kid looks at him with panic filled eyes. Shit! He's having a full blown panic attack. Jiraya acts quickly before the boy passes out.

He picks him up, and sits him between his legs, back against his chest, head resting in his shoulder.

"Come on, feel me breathing. Breath with me,okay? Look, inhale, that's it, exhale… Again, inhale,1,2,3, exhale,1,2,3…" Jiraya keeps gently coaxing the boy and rubbing soothing circles in his chest with one hand, while holding him close with his other arm.

Finally, the boy seems to gain a little more control of his emotions and the frantically breathing becomes slower.

"That's it, that's my boy." Jiraya smiles when he feels his upset student relax in his hold. "There is no need for all of that crying, kid. It's okay, it happens. It's just an accident. No harm done."

"You… you'll send me away…" The boy whispers.

"Away? Why? Because a nightmare made you have an accident?" Jiraya is truly surprised. Why does he think like that? Did someone punish him for something so innocent like a wet bed? Kakashi wouldn't do that. He is so kind and understanding to his students. He even went throw a little bedwetting phase when he was in their age… Maybe in the orphanage? What did that people do to his godson?

"Aren't you mad at me?"

"For what? You did nothing wrong, it's not your fault" Jiraya smiles down to the boy, looking at those big blue orbs.

"I'm 12… I'm a shinobi… I shouldn't still wet the bed…" Naruto whispers, tears running down.

"Still? This is not a one time thing?" Jiraya quietly asks.

The boy shakes his head and chokes a sob.

"Oh kid… Why didn't you tell me? Are you afraid of me?"

"I…I don't want to disappoint you… I don't want to be sent away… You…you feel like home…" The boy turns to bury his face in the man's chest, fisting his shirt fabric.

"Oh buddy, I would never do that. This is not your fault, okay? You'll grow out of it, trust me. I had seen this other times. Eventually it will go away. Until there, you can always come to me. Wake me up when it happens or if you had nightmares. You can sleep with me or with the lights on, if you like it. Or I can stay with you until you fall asleep. There is nothing to be afraid of. Every great shinobi were little and scared, okay?"

"Even you and Tsunade-ba-chan?" Naruto perks up, looking at his mentor.

"Even us. I used to wet the bed sometimes, until I was 14. And Tsunade isn't really found of thunderstorms to this day… Sarutobi-san really helped me, back then. And I'm here to help you now."

"Help me? How?" Naruto is intrigued.

"What did Kakashi do when this happened?"

"He told me to go get changed and he cleaned up my sleeping bag and let me sleep next to him, holding his hand…" Naruto mumbles, embarrassed.

"And does it help?"

"Yeah… I never had nightmares when he was next to me…"

"So… Come on, kiddo. Go on and take a shower, I'll take care of the bed." Jiraya stands up, pulling the boy with him.

"Did I…did I get you wet?" Naruto is a so embarrassed that he can even look at the man's eyes.

"Look at me,kid" Jiraya tilts the boy head to look him in the eye. "It's okay. It's just clothes. No harm done. Go on, change your pyjama and let's go to sleep. You are dead tired, buddy"

The boy stumbles to the bathroom, so tired that he can barely walk. Jiraya changes his own pyjama and strips the bed, leaving the wet sheets on the floor, he can deal with that in the morning.

When he looks up, Naruto is leaning in the door frame, soiled clothes in his hands. The boy is so tired that he can't even stand straight. Jiraya smiles. He looks so young, standing there, rubbing his eye, sleeply…

"Oh buddy, you can't even make to the bed, can you?"

Naruto nods his head and tries to move forward but almost loses his balance.

Jiraya steps close, takes the wet bundle of his arms and tosses it with the sheets. He picks de boy up, like a small child.

"Come on, kid, let's go to sleep" He lays down in his bed with the boy still safe in his arms.

"This is your bed…" The kid mumbles.

"Shh… It's fine. Let's keep the nightmares away". He pulls the boy close, thinking that it's like sleeping with a human heater.

Naruto snuggles close in his mentor's arms and falls asleep, feeling safe and protected, just like when he used to sleep next to his sensei…

What Jiraya doesn't know is that it'll be a long time before he sleeps alone again… Not that he is one to complain about that… It's winter after all…

* * *

 **A/N: Naruto, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you! But Jiraya is the sweetest, righ?**


	4. Ths Sweet Boy of Mine

I'm back! This one is longer than usual and has two different parts, but I think I like it. I tried to escape the "easy" Shikamaru/Asuma relationship, but I'll do a take on that latter (I love Shika, what can I do!). Read and tell me what you think, please.

* * *

Asuma light another cigarette and inhale deeply. Another sensei's meeting that drags for far too long… Gai is challenging Kakashi (again) for another insane competition. Iruka is trying to discuss some "important matter" related to the new genins. Ebisu is reading some suspicious paper work and looks like he is about to start bleeding from his nose. And Kurenai… she just look beautiful and serene… So beautiful… Kami, that woman…

He's snap out of his daydream when he hears her voice sounding angry.

"Too gentle to be a shinobi? Too kind? How can someone be too gentle or too kind? Really, what do you mean by that?" She punches the table and leans forward, looking ready to jump at Iruka's throat.

"I-I don't mean anything, Kurenai-san! I'm just saying that being a shinobi is a hard job! It takes a strong body and a stronger mind. I'm just worried about some of the new genins… I know they are yours responsibility now, but I was their sensei for far too long to not know them better than you! And to not worry about them." Iruka tries to placate the crimson-eyed kunoichi.

"You know… Iruka has a point here…" Kakashi's voice surprises everyone.

"A point? He has a point? What he wants so? An avenger fuelled by anger and a fool fuelled by idiotic dreams like your kids?" Kurenai spats at the man.

"Calm down, Kurenai! And please, let MY kids in peace. I'm not offending you and your kids. Neither is Iruka. What we are trying to say is that we need a strong mind to do our job. Trust me, I KNOW what I'm talking about! But what I want to add to that thought is that you can be a gentle and kind person AND a great shinobi. I met enough of them."

Kurenai blushes and looks down. She knows she had crossed a line in there.

"Well… maybe you are right… But what can we do about that?"

"Reassure them. Tell them that it's hard, that they'll do things that will give them nightmares and that's ok. Push them forward without make them feel lonely…" Asuma spoke softly to her.

Every head in the room spun towards him. Except Kakashi who nod lightly, a soft smile showing in his eye.

"That's… That's very… well spoken…" Iruka is dumbfounded by the other man words.

Iruka smirks. "Do you think I'm that brute man that doesn't have a clue on how to handle my kids?"

"I-I…" Iruka stutters.

"I know, you don't mean it. Relax, man! Look, I understand your concern. You know them better than us. But the truth is… They are changing, growing. They are finding their own path, their own way to do things. We have to let them go."

Kurenai smiles at him. Kakashi lightly nods again, pulling his book from his pocket. Iruka shakes his head in confusion, but is satisfied with his answer. Gai gives him thumbs up.

The other issues are easier to discuss. A couple of bureaucratic things, a few papers to sign, exams to take a look. They scheduled another meeting after the kid's annual check-ups and they call it a day. Kakashi dodges another Gai's challenge. Ebisu goes to the hospital with a nose bleed. Iruka heads home to grade papers.

Asuma waits outside, another cigarette in his mouth.

"You are becoming a mother-hen, do you know that?" Kurenai teases him as they star walking home.

"Me? You almost eat the head off the poor boy!"

"He taught this kids for years and still doubts their power… They need us to trust them… To guide them until they become as strong as they can be… Or at least to teach them how to stand in their own two feet if we…" Her voice trails off…

"Yeah… I know… We are the cool teachers now, aren't we? We are the ones leading the new generation… I wonder if we'll be able to see them in their full strength… You maybe… I… I doubt I'll die from old age…"

"Don't say those things! Do your job, teach your kids and come home in one piece. Just that!"

Asuma smiles to the brunette. She has a point, but he knows better than to promise her that. He's about to reply when something catches his eye.

"Go ahead… I have something to deal before going home."

"What?" Kurenai's question is cut short when he leaps to a rooftop. She looks that way and understands his intent. The brunette heads home, knowing that the man has everything under control.

Asuma lands softly in a tree just behind the kids. He feels his temper rising, but he has to keep calm.

Five older civilian kids had cornered Chogi in a back alley. The boy is trembling, tears pulling in his eyes. His sensei knows that the kids ambushed him right after Shikamaru went home. They know that if the genius was with his best friend, the civilian boys wouldn't stand a chance.

"A fat ninja? There is no such thing! You are a joke!"

"Yeah, your teammates will die to save you!"

"Or he will eat them…" The boys taunt the Akimichi. The poor kid is scared out of his mind.

"Hey kids, need any help?" Asuma's voice is an angry growl. The bullies stammered an excuse and run away. Chogi stays behind, head bowed and tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Are you okay, kiddo?" Asuma puts a hand in the boy's shoulder.

"Hum… Yes, I'm find… Thanks, sensei…" The kids voice is strained and hesitant.

"Kid, look at me." The sensei kneels to the boy's level and tilts his chin up. His chubby cheeks are soaked with tears and flushed in shame. He looks anywhere but the older man's face. "Oh kid, come on, no need to be like that. Those punks don't know what they are saying." He hugs the kid to his chest.

Chogi holds his sensei, hands fisting his vest, face buried in the crook of his neck.

"They…they are right! I'm just a burden for you! I slow you down! I-I-I'll get you all killed!" His sobs become almost histerical.

"Hey, hey buddy, come on. None of that. Calm down, ok? Just breathe and calm down for me, please" Asuma runs a hand in the kids back, drawing soothing circles. The other cradles the boy's head. "You are not a burden. You are part of our team. And a very important part, for that matter! We wouldn't be team 10 without you. Shikamaru and Ino would probably kill each other on a daily basis without you…"

"I'm useless… My jutsu is weak…" The boy whispers.

"No, you're not. You are still learning and training. Just like Shikamaru and Ino. You graduate a couple of months ago. No one is perfect just out of the academy! Well, maybe Kakashi was but that man is nuts…" Asuma jokes, earning a light chuckle from the boy in his arms. "Come on, look at me." He pulls away and rests is hands in his kid shoulders. His face is blotched and his eyes are red from all the crying. Tears and snot are still running down his cheeks. He attempts to wipe than with his sleeve but the jounin stops him. The older man takes a handkerchief from his pocket and gently cleans his face. "There you go, all better. Right?"

Chogi nods and gently smiles to his sensei. "Thanks… I-I couldn't do anything against them… They are civilians! It was unfair if I did anything…"

"They are five civilians against you! Five against one is unfair too. You should defend yourself, buddy. They could have hurt you."

"Yes, but…" His voice trails off.

"But you are a good boy, aren't you? Too gentle and too kind to hurt anyone…" Asuma smiles remembering the meeting. "And that's a good thing! An awesome thing. But you had to stand up for yourself. They are a bunch of useless bullies. They'll taunt you until they get bored and then they'll move on to another kid. And maybe they'll pick on a kid that can't really defends himself! What if they hurt him? If you fight them, you are not only defend yourself, you are defending all those innocent and helpless kids too"

"I-I am?" Chogi seems unsure.

"Yes, you are. And that is your job as a shinobi. Defending the weaker ones." Asuma reassures him.

"Can you… Can you help me? You know… getting stronger? Please…" The boy's eyes shine with hope.

"Of course, kid. That's my job after all, isn't it?" Asuma winks. "And besides, training you three is the best thing in my life." He hugs the kid again.

"Thank you, Asuma-sensei! I'll get stronger and better, I promise!" The kid hugs him back.

Asuma smiles lightly. Yes, his boy will get stronger. So much stronger. But he doubts that this kid can get better. He's too good to get even better! Simply the best… Yes, gentle and kind people can be great shinobis too… He's sure of that.


	5. This Scared Boy of Mine

**Sorry for the wait! Long story short, I'm drowning in work! I'll present my master degree thesis in a week, so I'm all over the place and close to a nervous breakdown. But here I am! Yesterday, the weather was nasty over here. I never been afraid of storms but it inspired me to write again. I hope you like it!**

* * *

The rain was pouring since they left for their mission. Guy was not a very complaining person, but he knew that heavy rain and young genin are a bad mixture, even in an easy D-rank mission. It was their first mission out of Konoha, just a delivery job. Go to a nearby village, pick a scroll, and come back. Easy peasy, a perfect mission for them. Except for the rain…

Guy is an experient jounin and against popular believing, he is a good, caring and responsible teacher. So, walking through heavy rain with three kids is not his definition of "perfect mission".

As he muses about where to find shelter, a thunder roared making everyone jump. A smile crossed the sensei's face, looking at his kids. They are so young, after all. They are brave though, never complaining about the weather, even when they got soaking wet, the backpacks getting heavier with the water, their hair sticking on their faces. But they look exhausted and bluish, shaking with the cold. They have to find shelter soon or he'll have to drag three sick children back to Konoha.

"Guy-sensei! There is a cave over there!" Tenten's voice brakes his train of thought.

"Yosh! Let's go then, my youthful students! We have to find shelter before this rain drowns the spring of our youthfulness!" He shouts, over the sound of the storm.

Neji shakes his head at his sensei's antics. He usually glares at the older man, but right now other things are in the Hyuga's mind, like getting inside that cave and starting a fire before he gets sick.

As soon as they get in the cave, they set camp for the night. Guy lit up a fire (they are in friendly territory, there is no reason to be cold just to conceal their presence) while the kids change their clothes and lay the sleeping bags.

After diner, the weather is nastier than ever. The storm is right above them. Lightining illuminates the cave every few minutes and thunder makes the ground shake, shortly after the light.

"So… Are you okay?" Guy asks.

"Hai! Yes!" Three voices chirped. After a nice meal (Guy is kind enough to bring good food with him), with dry clothes and cocooned in blankets, the exhaustion is finally getting into them. They lean against the cave's wall, looking ready to sleep.

"So, no one has problems with storms?" The man smiles. He has a lot of years under his belt, he knows that a lot of kids are afraid of thunderstorms. He used to be afraid of them, back in genin days…

"No! It's just sound and light!" Tenten smiled.

Lee nods enthusiastically. "Guy-sensei! Nothing can hurt us! You are here!"

Neji just makes a non-committed noise and rests his head against the stone wall. Guy takes a better look at him. The kid seems paler then usually and is still shivering. Maybe he is getting sick, the man thinks… "Neji, are you alright?"

"Yes, just fine…" The answer seems too short and too quick to be the truth, but the sensei drops the subjected for now.

The minutes pass by until soft snores and heavy breaths fill the cave. Guy looks outside, not too worried about enemies. This isn't that kind of mission and they are pretty much in Konoha's territory, so he lets the kids sleep, while he keeps an eye outside. Not even rogue ninjas want to walk around with this weather, he muses.

Sudendly, thunder shakes the ground. A movement captures his attention, but not from the outside. Inside the cave, someone jumped. "Not afraid, hun…" Guy shakes his head lightly and looks at the kids. He expects to see Lee or maybe Tenten wide awake and startled by the storm, but the sight that he gets makes him become instantly awake and worried.

Neji, his stoic and unshakable student is shaking from head to toe, the blanket covering him, except for the eyes, big as saucers. The 12 year old is the image of fright.

"Neji, are you okay?" Guy crawls and sits beside the kid. He knows that if the other two wake, the brunette will be terrible embarrassed, so he keeps his voice calm and low.

"F-f-fine…" The boy stutters. The man shakes his head.

"Kid, you are anything but fine… Talk, please" He puts an arm around the kid's shoulders. He becomes stiff as a board, but the gentle embrace and his sensei warmth are too much to him to pretend. He leans against the man and tries to conceal his watering eyes.

"It was thundering, you know… When my father…" His voice trails off, but his words are enough to make the empathic man to understand.

"I see… That is a good reason to not like this kind of night… " He whispers softly.

"I hate it… And I hate to feel so… Like this…" Another thunder booms through the cave and the kid whimpers, digging his fingers in his sensei's vest.

"Shhhhh, it's okay. There is nothing to worry about. Just sound and light, like Tenten said." Guy rubs a hand up and down his boy's back, trying to calm down his shivering.

"I-I-I know that! But I can help it! I hate it!" The kid shudders. The man pulls slightly away, to tuck another blanket around them. That little distance seems to be the boy's last straw. "No! Don't… Don't go away!" he cries out.

"Shh, I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'm right here. Just getting another blanket." He draps the blanket around them and pulls the kid to his lap. "There you go! All nice and warm. And right here with me, see?" He hugs the boy close, drawing soothing circle in his head with one hand, while he cradles his head with the other. He rocks gently, back and forth, hoping that the motion makes the kid sleep.

"T-t-thanks… I-I-I'm always alone…" He looks at the boy in his arms. The kid is still holding to his vest for dear life, like if the man will go away at any second. Silent tears stream down his face, eyes shut close.

"Alone? You don't go to someone when is storming?" He gentle asks.

"I have no one…" The kid whimpers, hiding his face in the man's chest.

"No one? So you wait alone and scared?" The man is baffled. How can someone left a child scared and alone in the middle of night? How can someone be so heartless?

The boy shrugs his shoulders "I only exist to protect the main family… I can't be afraid of something like storms…"

"Kid, everyone is afraid of something. Even the greatest ninja… You behaved with courage. You kept a straight face and kept walking until we are all safe. You did your job. It's okay to be afraid and seek comfort now." He hugged the kid close. "Besides, you can always come to me, okay? Even if we are home, you can come and find me when is storming. No questions asked. Just walk in and make yourself comfortable."

"Like this?" Neji asks softly, snuggling close.

"Just like this, my youthful boy…" Guy smiles and closes his eyes, an arm holding the kid close to his chest, the other making soothing patterns in his back.

Neji clings to his sensei, nuzzling his vest and closes his eyes. He didn't felt so warm and safe since his father's death. He drifts to sleep knowing that everything will be fine and that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Next morning came with sunshine and clear skies. And two young ninjas trying to figure out why their teammate is sound asleep in their sensei's arms…


	6. This Unsure Boy of Mine

**I was planing to write something about the girls and their senseis but this just poped in my mind. I really think that Kakashi don't play favourites and that those kids are the light of his world, even with all the mess surronding them. And I think that both him and Naruto need some reassuring words every once in a while. So, here we are.**

 **Set right after Sasuke's retrieval ark (because everyone involved in that is in need of some cuddling.)**

* * *

Kakashi lifts his head from his book. Again. It was the tenth time in the last 5 minutes or so. It's pointless and he knows it, but he can't help it. He is worried. And his worry makes him restless and unfocused.

He looks again at his student. His boy. His sensei's son. The boy that everyone hated. The boy that grew up alone and shunned by everyone. He can't see the demon inside. He can't see nothing to avoid or hate or fear. He just sees a little boy, lying in a hospital bed.

The man sighs deeply. The mission was a disaster. To be truthful, everything was a disaster since day one. He shouldn't have accepted this team. He should know better. He failed miserably.

He sighed again and thought about the other teams. Asuma's team is a match made in heaven. The next legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio are made to work together. Seeing the freshly turned chunin crying his heart out over his hurt friend was just another prove of that. And Kurenai's team? A little unexpected but they are a close knit. They complement each other and are becoming the best tracking team in the village… Guy's team is close and functional too, go figure. They work well together.

And then, there is his own team… A boy seeking for vengeance, who becomes a rogue ninja, despite all his talent. Another boy seeking for recognition, that almost died trying to bring the first one home, despite all the hate towards himself. And a girl insecure and lost, drifting between the two of them, trying not to drown in her own sorrow.

He failed miserably, to all of them. If there is an award for the worst sensei in history, he would won that.

His self-pity thoughts are disturbed for some movement in the bed. The blonde boy starts to whimper and trash in his sleep. Kakashi knows him too well to let the nightmare continued, so he gently touches his shoulder.

"Naruto? Wake up, kid, wake up for me, please." The boy whimpers again before his eyes flicked open. For a second, he seems relieved to see the smiling face of his sensei, right next to him. But soon that relieve turns into a pained looked.

"Sensei…" The boy whispers. "Why are you here?"

"Hum? Where should I be? You are hurt, remember?" Maybe the kid is confused, Kakashi thought…

"You should go after Sasuke…" Naruto's voice is so low. The man looks concerned, that's not his usual behaviour. His boy is loud, obnoxious, always jumping up and down, always screaming. This whispering thing is driving him insane.

He sits on the bed, leaning against the head board and puts an arm around the boy, minding his wounds. "Naruto, he made his choice. He was the one that walked away, that went to find another path. Away from you, away from us. My job with him is done. I did my best." He sighs. "It wasn't enough but I tried, and you tried. He didn't want to come back, so… It's only us now…"

"But he was your favourite…" Naruto looks down, fiddling with his blanket.

"Kid, I don't play favourites… You are all the same to me."

"Bullshit! He was your favourite! He IS your favourite! Always had been! He is powerful and talented and a genius… Not like me…" Tears start to fall and he wipes them angrily.

"I'm really an awful teacher, if you think like that." Kakashi looks at the window, thinking about his next move.

"I don't think you are an awful teacher… You are… human. It's okay if you love him and not me. I understand… I'm not lovable... I'm annoying and I take too long to learn something and you have better things to do… I'm stupid, I know that…"

Kakashi looks at the boy, baffled. Is this what he really thinks about himself? That he isn't lovable? That he is stupid? He gently pulls the boy to his lap and lifts his chin.

"Naruto, look at me! And now, listen to me very carefully! You are not stupid. You are a hard working kid, who never gives up, until you achieve something! And you are the most lovable person I ever met! You are funny and kind and gentle and friendly. You always go out of your way to help someone. Everyone treat your wrong and you never let that get to you. You keep your sweetness and innocence and this desire to help everyone, to make everyone feel loved. You, my boy, are amazing! And I don't play favourite, but if I had to do it… Do you want to know who I would pick?"

The boy's eyes are wide and shining with unshed tears. "Who?" His question is frightful and shaky.

The man hugs him tight, taking extra care with his ribs. "You…" He whispers in the boy's blonde locks. "I would pick you. You are sunshine, you are happiness. You give a warm feeling inside that I thought I wouldn't ever feel again. You bring colour to my dark, dark world. You are my light, the light that guides me home, that keeps me sane."

"I am?" Tears stream down the boy's face and he gentle nuzzles his sensei's chest. He smells like dogs and grass and soap and… home. It's safe in here, in his arms.

"Yes, you are. And lots of people think that too. Look what you did for Neji and for Gaara. The hope that you bring to Sakura's heart. The light that shines in Tsunade's eyes when she looks at you. The way that Jiraya smiles when you are around. You are happiness, you are hope. You mend people's souls. You make the world a better place."

A sob escapes from the boys lips. He's shaking, too overwhelmed to talk. Kakashi runs a hand in his back and buries his fingers in his blonde, soft hair.

"Naruto, buddy, look at me, please. Don't cry. Everything is okay, now…"

"But I failed. I'm not good enough to bring him home." He hides his face in his sensei's chest.

"You'll be. One day, you'll be. You know what? He is very powerful, very talented, but you'll become as strong as him, if not even stronger."

"You think that? Really?"

"I'm sure of that." Kakashi smiles and finds a better position, cradling the boy in his arms. "But for now, just rest, okay? You need to heal and Tsunade will have my head if she finds you all worked up. Just go to sleep, I'll be right here, don't worry."

"Keeping the nightmares away…" The boy whispers, already half asleep.

Kakashi tuck the blankets around his small frame and rocks him gently. "Yes, keeping them away. Just sleep, my boy… Just sleep… And remember that I love you more than myself, my sweet sunshine…"

"Love… you… too…" The kid is already on his way to dreamland, feeling safe and contempt in this strong arms, surrounded by his sensei's warmth and smell.

Kakashi looks at the boy sleeping in his arms, a smile in his lips, so calm and happy. Maybe, just maybe he isn't the worst sensei in history… Maybe he is good enough to deserve to hold this little ray of happiness in his arms…


	7. This Reckless Girl of Mine

Reckless! How can someone be so reckless? And stupid! But mostly reckless!

She didn't disregard her own safety, she disregarded her teammates safety, their feelings, their health! She even disregarded her best friend feelings! How could she?

And how could he have failed so miserably that she did something like that? And that poor boy? He was devastated, broken… He never had seen him like that…

How could she? Stupid, reckless girl…

"Kakashi-sensei…" Her soft voice breaks his thoughts.

"Not now, Sakura!" He growls. "Give me some time, please."

"I-I just want to apologize… I know that I messed up…"

"Messed up? Messed up? You did much more than that! You put the safety of your team, the safety of your friends in risk! You almost got killed! You broke Naruto's heart! Did you even think about what you were about to do? About the consequences? Do you even realize how much you hurt the poor boy? What were you even thinking?" He knows that he shouldn't talk like that, but the stress, the anger, the fear that build up in the past few days are boiling in his veins.

"I-I-I just want to stop him… Them… I just want to… make things better…"

"Better? You thought that lying to your best friend, to the one that always, ALWAYS stood by your side, the one that goes to hell to keep a promise that he made you, would make things better? Did you think about his feelings? No, you didn't…"

"Worse than trash…" She mumbles.

Kakashi looks at her for the first time. Her face is blotchy and tear stained, her eyes red rimmed, dark circles under them. Her hands are balled into fists and all her body is shaking.

"What did you say?" He breaths deeply, he can lose his temper like this. She's still his student, his girl.

"Worse than trash… Those who abandon their friends are worse than trash… I'm worse than trash…" She whispers back, tears running through her face. He looks at her, she's broken, empty… She doesn't look like that happy, bubbly girl, who used to worship Sasuke, knock some senses in Naruto's head, who used to look up on him.

Now, she's an empty shell. A shadow of that bubbly girl. She grew, she trained, she got better. And still she's not as good as they are. She's the second best. But her heart… Her heart is in the right place. And as broken as theirs.

She lost so much too. She watched her childhood crush turn his back to her, to her village. She watched her best friend walk away to get stronger. And she stood behind. She waited. And waited. She never gave up on them. She waited with a heavy heart and open arms for them. Because she looks cold and rude and hot tempered and abrasive, but deep down she loves them to pieces. Her boys. Hers as much as they are his. They are the same in so many things…

"Sakura… Come here." He sighs, sitting on a bench and patting the spot next to him. "You are not worse than trash… You were… reckless and didn't thought through your 'plan', but you never abandoned your friends…"

She looks down, her tears falling in her lap, eyes hidden behind pink strands of her.

"Look at me…" He tilts her shin up, to look her in the eye. "You never gave up on Sasuke, even when all of us lost hope. Even when I lost hope… Even now… You stood here and wait for Naruto, trusting that he would be back, that he would get stronger. You lied to him, to make him stop with his quest, to make him broke that insane promise he made you. You drugged your team mates to be sure that they would be safe in the worst-case scenario… You never abandoned your friends, not for a minute, not even in your thoughts… You, my girl, are not trash!" He softly smiles at her.

"And I'm still useless and annoying… They got stronger, stronger in so many ways… And I'm still here… The same as I was 3 years ago…"

"The same? You got so much stronger! You learned so much!"

"No I don't…"

"Sakura, do you think that Tsunade would keep you as her apprentice if you were weak and useless and annoying?"

"Well… No, but…"

"No buts! She wouldn't! She personally trained you, she taught you all she knows. And you saved so many lives already! You defeated an Akatsuki member. You saved Kankurou and Hinata. And by saving them, you saved so much more. You saved his siblings from a life of sorrow, you saved Neji and Kiba and Shino and Kurenai from that too. After that battle, you stood in that hospital, on your feet, spending every little bit of chackra in your body, just to save every life that you could. While Shizune stood by Tsunade's bed, you kept the hospital running, you kept everything going…"

"And yet, I couldn't bring him home… And yet I couldn't save Naruto from himself… And I hurt him so much…"

"Yeah… I know… Those two… Stubborn as they can be…" He sighs deeply. "Look, Sakura… I can make you promises… We both know that doesn't end well… But we can't lose hope… We have to keep believing that someday he'll come back…"

"Do you believe in that?"

"Rationally? No. But in my heart… I do… I have too. If I lose that hope… I don't have many good things in my life, I don't have many people… I already lost so much… If I start to think that I lost him too…" The man shakes his head.

She puts a hand in his arms and rests her head in his shoulder. "I know… I think I know… It feels… empty… without him…"

"Yes, empty…"

"And Naruto? Will he forgive me?"

Kakashi chuckles. "Don't you know him? He doesn't dwell with that. You are more than forgiven. That boy…"

She laughs. "Yeah… but maybe I should go with him to Ichiraku's… Just to make sure…"

"Yeah, you should.. He deserves it…" He puts an arm around her shoulders and holds her close. "You both deserve it… A few hours of peace… Of fun… Maybe I'll go with you…"

"And you'll pay for it! No excuses this time!"

"Fine…" He looks down at her. "You know what? I can't make you promises, but I'll tell you something. When Sasuke gets back here, we'll go to Ichiraku's and I'll buy for that!"

"You know that he hates ramen, right?"

"Yup. And I don't care! After all he puts us through, he deserves to be punish!"

She giggles and leans on her old sensei's embrace. Not old… He'll always be her sensei…

And she'll always be his girl. His smart, hot headed, big hearted, reckless girl.

And they'll wait for their boys. Together… Like it should be…


	8. This Useful Girl of Mine

The man smiles behind his cigarret and moves another piece in the board. His students couldn't be more different.

"You think it's funny, hun?" Shikamaru's annoyed voice floats over the board.

"Kind of…"

"Poor Chogi… She's just… troublesome…" The boy sighs…

"She's committed… And she's right… You should train much more than you do… Both of you…"

"Troublesome… Check!" Shikamaru smirks over the board.

"Hun? Oh damn…" Asuma smiles, this boy…

"Impossible, you are impossible! I'm going home!" A scream interrupts their peaceful moment.

Chogi looks at them confused. "She… just stormed away!"

"I'll go after her. Go home" Asuma waves at them and speeds his pace to catch his girl.

He founds her sitting under a tree, head resting in her knees.

"Ino… What's up?"

"They… they just don't get it…"

"Don't get what?" He sits next to her.

"Me… They don't get me…" She shakes her head. "I need to train… I need to get stronger and better."

"We all need it…"

"You don't… You are the best at what you do!"

"Oh well, thanks… But if I sit around doing nothing, I'll become slower, for example." He smiles. "But tell me… Why did you get so mad with Chogi today? He didn't do nothing wrong, you know that…"

"I just wanted to train, but it's impossible! Chogi keeps stopping to have a snack and Shikamaru doesn't even bother to start it! He just plays with you…"

"You know that 'playing' with me is just another way for him to train, right? I agree with you, they need to train their bodies and their jutsus, but Shikamaru needs to train his mind too…"

"I know… but…." She sighs.

"Ino… Tell me the truth… What's bothering you?"

"I bump into Sakura on my way to meet you…" The blonde girl looks away. "She's strong! Like super strong!"

"Well… She's Tsunade's student… Being strong is part of what she's learning…"

"Yeah… But… She brakes the floor with her fist! Her fist! And I can barely use my jutsu without fainting…"

"It's not exactly faint, but okay… I get you…" Asuma puts an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close. "You know what? Someone will always be better than us. It's just how life works. Like Kakashi's always saying, your generation is better than ours. And the next one will be better than yours. And even inside a generation, some people will be better than others."

"So, there is no point in training? In working hard?"

"No, that's not what I said. You should work to better yourself! Not to be better than Sakura." The man pulls her shin up. "You are completely different people, with completely different abilities."

"I'll never be as useful as she is… She's getting super strong and a medic-nin… She'll be much more useful in a battle field…"

"So, a medic-nin who can kick ass is more important than a shinobi that's able to read the mind of the enemy? That's what you think? Your dad must be really happy with that thought…"

"I…I… I don't know… You are confusing me…"

"No, I'm making you think hard! You are as useful as she is, just in a different way." Asuma smiles down to her. "Besides, no one can be better than a Ino-Shika-Cho trio. I'm sorry, girl, but you'll always be part of them and them will be part of you. And your strength is your team work."

"Yeah… That's true…"

"You want to know a secret?" She nods at him. "Kakashi, Kurenai, Guy… They kept complaining about their teams. They had to TEACH them how to work together! You three? You just go into the field and do your thing without my help… Sometimes I feel pretty useless as a sensei…"

"We need you! You keep as together!"

"Actually… You are the one who keep us together." The man chuckles at her surprised stare. "Oh yes, don't look at me that way. Your team mates… They are… How can I put this? Immature… Yeah, immature in a lot of ways. You take care of them. You make sure that they aren't always late for something, that they eat properly, that they train… You even check up on them when they are sick!"

"You make me sound like a mother hen…"

"And you are, and there is nothing wrong with it." He hugs her. "You know? Maybe you'll never break the floor with your hands or be a medic-nin, but you'll be a great kunoichi. You know how to read people even without your jutsu. You know how to work with your team. And I'm sure that one day you'll substitute your dad, just like Shikamary will substitute his. There aren't an interrogation unit or a strategic unit without a Yamanaka and a Nara. And part of that success is their team work."

"So, I'm only good with my team? I'll never be good on my own?"

"You are good on your own. You are great! You just have to find your own way to shine." Asuma looks in her eyes. "Stop trying to follow Sakura's footsteps. Find your own path…"

"It's hard… She's getting great and I'm stuck…"

"No, you aren't. You are getting better and better at what you do, Mind jutsus are tricky and hard and you keep getting better at it. Your area of action gets bigger every day! You barely need to look at the person to put him under control! You don't faint as much as you did before. You are great, you just need to be more confident in your abilities!"

"You really think that?"

"Yes, we all think that! So, stop trying to be like Sakura. We have enough kunoichis breaking things around here!"

Ino giggles. "Maybe you are right…"

"You know what? A clover will never be a cherry blossom… But it's beautiful on its own way…"

The girl doesn't say anything. She just leans in her sensei's shoulders and nods gently.

Maybe he's right. Maybe she'll never be a strong medic-nin that brakes rocks with her fists. Maybe she's different. Maybe her path is another. And maybe… she'll be the most beautiful clover around… Even if she'll never be a cherry blossom…


	9. This Gentle Girl of Mine

Courage… Bravery… Skills… Genius… Talent…

All these words, all these empty, cold, meaningless words echo in her head. Over and over and over.

She's never in the receiving end of these words. They belong to other people. They describe other people. Her sister, her cousin.

They are just words. They don't mean a thing.

Weak… Scared… Hopeless… Useless… Untalented…

Those are her words. The words that describe her. The ones that belong to her.

They are just cold, empty, meaningless words… And yet… They hurt. They hurt like a kunai through her chest. They feel like ice in her veins.

And she's tired, so tired. Tired of working hard without results. Tired of not being good enough, strong enough, talented enough. Tired of these cold words always lingering in her father's lips, always there ready to be thrown in her face.

She chokes a sob, a shaking hand wiping her tears.

"Hinata? Why are you here alone?" Kurenai's voice sounds kind and concerned.

"Just thinking, Kurenai-sensei… Just thinking…"

What's up with her kids these days? Everyone is over thinking, running to be alone in some corner of the training fields… Is this a sign of them growing up? If it is, Kurenai doesn't like it…

"Thinking about what?"

"Me, I guess… My… My life…" Hinata sighs.

"That's a lot of thinking to do, sweety… Especially, alone…" Kurenai sits by her. "What is bothering you?"

"What am I, Kurenai-sensei?"

"What are you?" The crimson-eyed woman is genuinely surprised. "What do you mean?"

"What words would you use to describe me?..." The girl sounds shaken to the core, her voice cracking, tears in her eyes.

"What words? Gentle, kind, caring, sweet, forgiving…" The woman hesitates. "You are so many things… So many good things…"

"Gentle… Kind…" Hinata shakes her head. "Weak… I'm weak… And useless"

"You are not weak or useless!" Kurenai almost screams, losing her calm. "Where did you get that?"

"My father… My family… Even Neji…"

"Neji doesn't think that you are weak…" The brunette stops for a moment. "Not anymore… He really admires you now, he really thinks that you'll do great things. Because of who you are."

"And who am I?" Hinata turns to look at her sensei, a slightly angry look in her eyes. "Who am I? I'm not the heir of the Hyuuga clan, I'm not a genius, I'm not talented and gifted… I'm just a weak, useless girl…"

"You are you! You are Hinata! My Hinata! The sweet girl that I'm lucky to teach. gentle girl that keeps Kiba under control and stops him to do crazy things. The caring girl who understands how upset Shino feels when he loses his bugs. The forgiving girl that loves Neji even after that awful fight. The loving girl that saw who Naruto was before anyone else. The girl who sees what lies deep inside someone." Kurenai takes a deep breath. "You are amazing! Truly amazing! And your best talent is that: seeing people for who they are, seeing the good in them, seeing the pain in their hearts, the tears that they hide, the fake smiles… You see us with all of ours flaws and weaknesses and ugliness. And you keep loving us."

The woman pulls her girl to her chest and hugs her tight. "You need to be strong to do that. You need to have the courage to dive in the deepest, darkest sides of us to do that. To bring that light to our lifes…"

"Thanks, Kurenai-sensei… But…" Hinata takes a deep breath. "That's not enough… I-I-I need to be strong, I need to fight… I need to be better…"

"And you'll get there. You just have to keep practicing, keep working…" She smiles at her. "Do you want to know a secret? I overheard Neji talking to Tenten. She was saying that you are getting better every day, stronger, more precise, more determined. Do you want to know what he said to her?"

Hinata nods. "He smiled and said that you surprise him every day! That you'll become one of the greatest ninjas in Hyuuga clan."

"Me? He's the best… the genius…"

"He talked about it to… He said that maybe he's more skilled and a 'genius', like people say, but you'll become as talented as him, without losing you and your beautiful heart in the process."

"My heart… You keep telling me that I'm gentle and caring and forgiving… I'm just… just trying…"

"Trying to do what?"

"To be like him…" Hinata whispers. "To have a heart as beautiful as him. To have that light and that warm feeling… I-I-I want to stop crying and giving up. I want to find the right path. And show him… When he gets backs… I want to show him that I'm stronger, that I can walk beside him…" Her voice trails off…

"Naruto, hun?" Kurenai smiles. "A couple of months ago, I didn't understand. But now… Now I see what you see. You saw that since the first day, didn't you? As a child, you saw what we, adults, are unable to see, to understand. You saw him, what he really is. A sweet, caring loving boy, fighting against the prejudice, against the hate. He never become bitter or angry…"

"I want to be like him. Strong, but not angry…"

"I want you to be whatever you want to be, but without losing your true self." The woman looks up to the sky. "You know what? Love is an amazing thing that makes us do stupid and amazing things. And love someone is… life changing… But don't ever lose you in the process. He needs to love for who you are, not for a mask that you put on."

"But I can be a better version of me?" Hinata hesitates.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to say! You need to better yourself every day, not trying to be someone else…"

"So… I can be strong and brave and even talented, if I work hard?" Kurenai nods at her. "But I can keep being gentle and kind and… and… your Hinata, like you call me?"

"Exactly that! And that, my girl, is something great to achieve…"

They stay there watching the sunset, in comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Yes, maybe this is her kids growing up, to become amazing adults, Kurenai thinks. And it's hard and tough and hurts. These growing pains hurt. And she feels it in her heart. But they need to feel it, to better themselves. And she is here to try to ease the pain…

Yes, words can be cold, empty and meaningless, but they can be warm and full of light, too, Hinata thinks. And someone can get better without changing, without getting bitter. Maybe that is her path… maybe she doesn't need to walk behind everyone or to try to lead them. Maybe she just needs to be good enough to walk alongside them…


	10. This Innocent Boy of Mine

**This chapter was a request from my awesome reviewer SunlitSky21. So, hi SunlitSky21! I hope you like it! I tried to keep Kakashi as OC as possible, but... Oh, well, you know me, right? I tried to cover everything you asked for, too (including the spell check, sorry if there are some grammar issues). Enough of this rambling. Here it is, I hope I didn't disappoint you, because my heart is acking for these two, my poor babies!**

 **Next chapter: a request from my best reviewer and the one who keeps me on track and that doesn't let me stop writing: Mega M! You deserve it soooo much!**

 **Thanks everyone and keep the requests coming!**

* * *

Rain was pouring down, making the monument shine in the dim sunset light. The man stood there, shivering in the cold air.

Another mission, another assassination, another success… How can someone call it "a success"?

He turned around and walked away, whispering goodbye. On the way home, he looked at the park, sighing… His childhood was so long ago, a distant memory of happier days, easier days…

A sudden movement caught his eye. A little boy, no older than 4, was dancing in the middle of the park. He was too young and too little to be there, at that hour, without a jacket or an umbrella, all alone.

There was something mesmerizing in him. The man took a step closer and leaned on the fence, a small smile hidden under his mask.

The child continued dancing, oblivious to his presence. With open arms and closed eyes, head threw back to feel the rain in his face.

"Yo, kid! What are you doing?" Even him was surprised with himself, he didn't mean to talk to the kid, but there is something so beautiful, so pure, so innocent in that child.

A pair of bright blue eyes looked at him, a glimpse of fear shining in them. "Just… dancing… I guess…"

"Dancing? In the middle of the rain?" The kid nods. "Where are your parents?"

"Dead…"

"Oh… I'm sorry… And who takes care of you? You should be at home, you'll get a cold…"

"I live alone… Sometimes, the old man visits me..."

"The old man?"

"Yeah! The one in the mountain." The kid points to the Hokage's Monument.

"The Third?" The Hokage visits an orphan? That's weird… Unless… "What's your name kid?"

"Uzumaki Naruto!" The kid grins at him, blonde hair sticking to his face, blue eyes sparkling.

"Uzumaki…" His voice trails off.

"Mister… Are you okay? Did you see a ghost?" The child sounds concerned.

A sad chuckle escapes from his lips. The kid is worried with him… The kid that he should have raised, the kid who should be like a younger brother to him, the kid who should be his last hope…

"I'm… fine. Naruto, hun? Suits you…"

"And what's your name?"

"Hatake Kakashi. Come here, kid…"

Kakashi kneels on the grass. The boy runs to him, jumping in the puddles. "Yes, Kakashi-san?"

"No need to call me that, just Kakashi is fine. You are soaking wet, you must be freezing!"

"Nah, I'm used to the rain! It's good to be used to it, I'll be a ninja one day! I'll have to fight in the rain!"

"A ninja, hun?" Kakashi pulls his sleeping bag from his backpack and wraps it around the boy. He seems so little… "How old are you?"

"Four!" The kid puffs his chest and lifts four fingers. "I'm a big boy now!"

"Oh, I can see that! A soaking, freezing big boy!" Kakashi smiles. He doesn't remember the last time he smiled so many times and so genuinely.

"Yup, that's me!" A huge sneeze makes Naruto jump and shiver.

"Okay… Come here, big boy!" Kakashi picks him up and puts him on his shoulders.

"Oi, oi! Where are you taking me?"

"Do you like ramen, Naruto?"

"I love ramen! Ichiraku's ramen is the best food in the whole world!"

"I figure… So, let's pick some and then we'll go to your home! You need a shower and warm clothes. Okay?"

"And you'll have dinner with me?" Kakashi nods an agreement. "Why?"

"Why not? I liked you… And I'm alone, too… We could keep each other's company, what do you think?"

"Grown ups don't like me very much… They usually chase me away… Why are you being nice to me?"

"Like I said, I liked you. And you remember me of an old friend…"

"Really?"

"Hm, hm…" Kakashi looks up. "So, dinner with me?"

"Yes, Kakashi-nii-chan!"

Kakashi's eye wides in surprised at the endearment. He feels his heart clenching, regret and shame flooding his veins.

He shakes the thoughts out of his head and concentrates in the task in his hands. He picks some boxes of ramen at Ichiraku's, letting Naruto choose what he wants to eat and asks him where his home is.

The man can't believe that the poor kid leaves alone in this apartment. Clothes and empty food boxes litter the floor, the bed is a mess of blankets, the pipes are so old that the water is almost as cold as the rain.

The kid sneezes again and shivers against his leg.

"Okay, kid, you need to warm up. Do you have clean clothes?"

He puts a kettle in the stove, boiling water to bath the kid. He is filling the tub, when Naruto comes in, with an old pyjama in his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"Preparing your bath. Take of those wet clothes and jump in."

Naruto seems unsure, but does as he tells, trying the water with his hand before coming in. The water seems fine to him and he sinks in the tub, smiling and humming with pleasure.

"Warmer that the rain, right?" Kakashi sits on the toilet lid and watches the kid. He seems contempt, playing with the water, relishing in the warm feeling. He let him play for a while. "Okay, come on, it's time to get out. You're starting to look like an old man!"

"Ohhh, I'm fine here…" The boy whines.

"We have ramen waiting for us…" Kakashi thanks to his well-trained reflexes. Only a good ninja would be able to catch the kid and wrap him in a towel, when he jumped from the tub and tried to run away, completely naked. "Put some clothes first!"

"Oh, sorry…" Naruto grins and rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

During dinner, Kakashi realizes two things. One, the boy is the spitting image of his father, but he eats and talks just like his mother. Two, is that he didn't feel so happy and so alive in a long, long time…

He's so lost in his own thoughts that it took him a minute to realized that the kid is (finally) quiet. Looking across the table, he smiles. The boy fell asleep on the table, head resting in one arm, chopsticks still clutched in his hand.

He picks him and gently tucks the little child in bed. Naruto rolls in his sleep, laying on his back, his thumb sleeping to his mouth, a contempt sigh escaping his lips, his blonde hair spread in the pillow.

Kakashi sits on the floor and looks at the boy. For the first time in forever, a tear rolls down his cheek. And it's like a floodgate is open, at last.

All the pain, all the sorrow, all the mourning and all the regrets stream down his face. He lays his head on the side of the bed and cries.

He cries for his lost childhood, for his lost innocence. He cries for his father, for his best friend, for his sensei and for the love of his life. He cries for all the lives that he took, for all the mistakes, for all the comrades that he lost. And most of all, he cries for this boy…

The boy that he couldn't took in, the boy that he couldn't adopt. The Hokage told him that he was too young, that it was a responsibility to big to a 14-year-old, that he had too much to do, that there was too many political issues and secrets around the boy, that it was safer this way. And he pretended that was the truth. He lied to himself for 4 years. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, he busied himself with missions after missions, he stayed away as much as possible.

But he knows the truth. He knows that the boy is alone in the world, despised and hated by everyone, because of something that wasn't his fault. And no one was there to take care of him, he wasn't there to take care of him.

And he knows that he can't do anything to change that. Kakashi knows that he is a blood cold killer, an assassin, a monster. He is the monster, not the boy. The demon sealed inside this child is better than the ones that live inside him.

He has too much pain and too much regret in his heart. His hands are stained with the blood of too many people. He can't take care of a child with this hands…

He can't touch such an innocent, pure, bright soul with his bloody, dirty, dark hands.

Kakashi knows that he'll have to live with this regret and shame for the rest of his life. That he'll have to find a way to cope, to find way to deal with it. He'll have to keep going, to live.

He looks at the sleeping boy and a sad smile lingers in his lips... He remembers how easy it was to talk with him, to hold him, to listen to him. The kid didn't run away, he didn't flinch or looked scared. He smiled and chatted and giggled without a care in the world.

Maybe, he isn't so dirty as he thinks, maybe the kid saw something that he can't see in himself. And he knows that he can't just take the boy home and pretend that nothing happened. HE knows that there are too many secrets, too many politics, too many risks to do that.

But he can keep an eye on the boy, took him to dinner sometime, make sure that he has food and clean clothes… He can take care of him from the distance, from the shadows…

And maybe, just maybe, he found a way to cope, a true reason to live…


	11. This Invisible Boy of Mine

**So, this was a request from the awesome Mega M! It was really, really, really hard for me to write it. Shino is just an impossible character, so quiet and he has a weird way of talking. I tried my best to keep him OC, but... I'm not sure...**

 **Oh well, it's done, I hope you like it, keep those requests coming.**

* * *

It was just another perfect spring day in Konoha. Clean skies, fluffy, white clouds, birds chirping in the trees.

Team 8 arrived early in the afternoon from a three-day mission, reported to the Hokage and spend a little time together, before went on separated ways.

Hinata went home, to see her little sister, saying that she missed Hanabi. Kiba went home, mumbling something about his mother nagging him for being late (everyone knows that it was just an excuse, he missed her and his sister).

Kurenai waved them goodbye and smiled, shaking her head at the boy's antics. She looked around, trying to find her third student. He was awful quiet in their way back and he didn't walk home with his teammates as usually.

She found him sitting under a tree, playing with his bugs.

The brunette raises an eyebrow, a concerned look in her eyes. She knows her students like the palm of her hands. She knows when they are scared, sad, angry, upset, excited, happy. She learned to deal with Kiba's shorter temper and undying energy, with Hinata's shyness and insecurities and with Shino's silence and stoic demeanour. She learned to recognized the subtlest difference. So, she knows that something is up with her quiet boy.

She sits next to him. She knows that there is no point in beating around the bushes with him. He's to straight forward for that.

"What's the matter, Shino?"

"What's the matter you ask? Nothing…"

"Nothing… I think that it's something… You're even more quiet than usual…" She didn't know that it's humanly possible for him to be quieter, but it looks like it is…

"Why am I quiet? Because I don't have anything important to say…"

"Well, people can just… talk. Talk about less important things, about the weather, the birds, other people… You didn't say a word on our trip back to the village or when we came to here to spend some time together… So, can you answer me please? What's up, kiddo?"

He sighs deeply and looks at the distance. She let him take his time, search for the right words. He is so closed in himself that it's hard for him to open and talk to someone.

"Am I invisible?" The question comes in a whisper, so low that she can barely hear.

"Invisible? I can see you right next to me…" She smiles.

He shakes his head and plays with a couple of bugs in his hand, turning slightly away from her, like he's trying to shield himself. "Not like that…"

"Okay, I get it, not in the mood. Care to explain that thought?"

"Why I think I'm invisible? Because my own comrades seem to ignore me…"

"I can't understand what you mean…" It's her turn to sigh. "Shino, look at me when we are talking."

She lays a hand in his shoulder and gently turns him. He looks at her. "It's just…" He shakes his head again and looks down. "I don't know how to explain…"

"Kid, I can't help you if you don't talk to me." She tilts his head up. "And it's okay to ask for help. So, take a deep breath and tell me what's the matter. Start from the beginning…"

He breaths deeply. "Why I say that my comrades ignore me? Because Naruto didn't recognize me when he came back. Because Kiba laughed at that and said it's my own fault because I'm always covered in clothes and glasses. He doesn't understand why I am upset when my bugs die and he doesn't even try to get it. Because Hinata never asks me for help or advice or comfort… Actually, no one ever asks me for help, they just use me and my bugs when they need us… I'm invisible…"

He says all in once, his low baritone voice cracking a couple of time. Kurenai knows that this is the most he has ever talked and the most emotional time too. She's truly baffled.

"Shino… You know them… You know that Naruto is a knuckle-head that can't tell his own feet apart. And Kiba can be a little… insensitive. And Hinata, she is just shy and seeks for affection, it's easier for her to talk to me or to Kiba because we are a little more… emotional than you…"

"So, am I cold?"

"No, I didn't say that! You are just… quieter than us. But we all know that we can count on you. You are a treasured member of this team. You are more than a comrade to us." She looks in his eyes. "You are their friend. And one of my kids. And team 8 wouldn't be the same without you…"

"I'm still invisible…"

"Look, you could speak a little more or be more open to us. But the truth is… when you speak your comrades stop and listen. Because they know that it is something important. Because they trust you and in your opinion. Not just Kiba and Hinata, all of the rookies know that you are a valuable comrade and shinobi."

"Do they?" He looks unsure.

"Yes, they do. You don't waste your words with small talk or unimportant matters. You concentrate on your task and you do it the best as you can. So, they shut up and listen. Even Kiba and Naruto shut those loud mouths of them and respect you…" She winks. "And that says it all…"

"And what do you think?"

"About what?"

"Me…"

"Like I said, you are one of my kids. My quiet, level-headed, calm kid. The one I don't have to worry every minute, thinking that you are doing something crazy or that you are scared and alone, but I still worry because that's my job. And I couldn't do my job without you levelling the things around here. You keep us on track, literal and figuratively. You keep Kiba from doing insane things and you push Hinata forward. You are a part of us. An amazing part of us…"

He releases the bugs in his hand and rests against a tree, a thoughtful look in his face.

"I'm thankful. Why, do you ask? Because I'm a part of this team. You make me better, you teach me to be more… open, like you said and to understand other people. I understand bugs. What they like, what they need, what hurts them, what makes them happy… People are… more complicated… Why?" He looks at the sky for a moment. "Because bugs are like rocks, it takes a great force of nature to change, to mutate them… People are like clouds… They change and shift and come and go…"

"People are complicated… But we are not that bad, right?"

"Hum… Yeah… You can be better than bugs sometimes…"

Kurenai laughs and lays next to her boy, in comfortable silence. No words or actions are needed right now…

She knows, deep down, that he's anything but invisible. He'll do something amazing in his future… She knows that. So she just sits and waits…


	12. This Strong Boy of Mine

**Hi! I'm alive and I'm back! Thanks to all the reviews I receive in this collection! I promise I'm not over with this stories. I'll finish all the kids and write about other moments between them and their senseis!**

 **So, I finally write about my sweet Shikamaru and my beloved Asuma (I love them soooo much!). I tried to keep him in caracter, but I think that I slipped a bit. Forgive me, please!**

 **Keep your requests and ideas coming! Next up, some Team Guy for three awesome reviewers! Thanks for being there!**

* * *

The man blew a ring of smoke and shook his head. This has to be the toughest mission in his life. It's not just about the mission or the team, it's about building people, creating shinobi from scratch.

He tossed the cigarette and approach the kid sitting before him. Not a kid anymore, he thinks, a young man...

"Shikamaru…" He starts.

"Not… not now…" The younger man's voice quivers for a split second. "We'll talk tomorrow."

Asuma sighs, that's not what he was expecting. He shakes his head and sits down in front of his student.

"Asuma...I said…" He's interrupted by a wave of his sensei's hand.

"I know, I heard you, you don't want to talk. I'm not here to talk." He lights up another cigarette and moves a piece in the board. "I'm here to play. Your turn."

Shikamaru is startled by his words. A dear in the headlights, the older man think.

"Your turn… Make a move…" He prompts the kid again.

"I… I'm not in the mood… Sorry…" He starts getting up and turning to leave.

"Shikamaru." The man's voice is the same calm baritone he always use, but somehow it sounds more assertive, more demanding. "Shikamaru, sit down, please."

"I said that I don't want to talk. Or to play. Or to be with anyone." The boy raises his tone.

"And I told you to sit down and make a move. I'm still your sensei, you should obey me…"

The chunnin sighs deeply and pinches the bridge of his nose. He peers at his sensei and the look on the man's face tells him that he should obey.

"Not fair…" He mumbles, sitting down again and moving a piece. "That's not fair…"

"Life is rarely fair, kid…" Asuma smiles and makes his move. "You should know that by now."

He makes a non-commitment noise and raises a knee to rest his head, before continuing the game.

"Today had more that it's fair share of unfairness…" He keeps his eyes on the board. "I just wanted to be alone for a couple of hours…"

"And that's why I'm here…" Asuma's voice returned to that gentle, soft tone that he reserves only for his students.

"That doesn't even make sense…"

"Shikamaru... I'm older than you, I lived more, I fought more, I had more missions than you." He blows the smoke. "I screwed up more than you too. To be honest, I failed epically a couple of times."

The younger man looks at him. "So what? You're here to say that failing is part of the job? That I should let it go and move on? That my team needs me? That my friends need me? That they'll do it, with or without me, so I should be there to help them? That's what you want to say?" He spats the words at his sensei, everyone of them coated in pain and anger.

"No, you already know that too. I met your father on the way here…" The kid rests his head on his knee again. "He's right. Everything he said to you was spot on. But…"

"But what? You think I'm a coward, too. You can say it, go on! Say it!"

"You are not a coward. At least, not yet…"

"Oh, thank you so much! That was comforting… Glad to know that you have such faith in me…"

"Shikamaru, stop it! You're angry, you're in pain, you're bitter. And that is perfectly fine. But that doesn't give you the right to attack the people trying to help you. Stop. It!" The boy is startled by the unusual scolding. "Kid, it's okay. Your mission failed. It was not even your fault."

He raises a hand to stop his student when he tries to interrupt. "No, it wasn't. I read the report, you did everything you're supposed to do. IT. WAS. NOT. Your fault. So stop with that self pity and regret. You are all alive and in one piece. You did a good job."

"And my best friend almost died, one of my classmates was severely injured, two if you count Akamaru, one of the Konoha prodigies is lying in a hospital bed. Oh, and Naruto is broken in too many ways to count… So, yeah… Great job!" He pushes the board and turns his back to his sensei.

Asuma sighs and gets up, kneeling next to his student. "Shikamaru, look at me. The mission was a bust, but you did a great job. As a chunnin and as a leader. Sending a bunch of 12-year-olds in a mission like that was stupid, almost suicidal! We almost had a heart attack when Shizune told us, I never saw Kakashi so livid and Guy so quiet! We were worried sick, kid!"

"It's our JOB! We can't live under your wing forever…" He whispers.

"No, you don't, but we can wish it, right?" He puts a hand on his shoulder. "You bring our boys back, a little banged up, but alive. For me, for us, it was a huge success. And, as far as the mission concerns… I can't give a tiny damn!"

"Asuma!" Shikamaru sounds outraged.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I like Sasuke, he's a great ninja. But he need to get that avenging thing out of his system, trust me. And eventually, Naruto and Kakashi will drag him back." He winks. "And call me biased, but I was way more worried with my own kids."

"Fine… I did okay… But my dad is right… I'm a boneless coward…"

"You can be lazy as hell and drive me insane from time to time, but you are anything but coward." He gently turns the boy's head up to meet his eyes. "Your dad was right. If you gave up, you would be a coward… But you didn't gave up, did you?"

Shikamaru shakes his head. "No… But I cried in front of a woman… That troublesome woman…" He whispers, blushing and turning away.

"So, what? Do you think that none of us ever cried in a mission?"

"Not in front of a potential enemy…"

"Her team saved you, I'm pretty sure she's not an enemy…"

"Still, stupid and embarrassing…" He bows his head.

"Sometimes, crying is the only thing you can do to release all the emotions you bottled up during a stressful time… I had my fair share of bawling my eyes out after a mission, there is nothing wrong with that kid…"

The man smiles and runs a hand on the kid's head. "I mean it… There is nothing wrong with that. And no one will think that you're weak or a coward for that, not me, not your team, not even your father. Especially, your father.

"How… how do you know that?"

"Because I know him. He's a great man and a great father. He pushes you when you need to be pushed, but he's there to help you whenever you need. And I'm here, too…"

"He sent you here…" Shikamaru's voice is low and cracked.

"I was looking for you, he just told me about your talk. He thinks you would need… a more friendly approach…"

"He thinks I'm a weak coward, who needs his sensei comfort…" The first tears slip down his face and he furiously rubs his eyes.

"Stop it, don't talk like that. He think s he was too harsh and that you're hurt and mad at him… Just that. He's actually proud of you and your work."

Shikamaru makes a strangled noise, too close of a sob to his liking and tries to push away Asuma's grasp on his shoulder. "Come here, kid, it's fine, it's over."

The sensei gently guides the kid's head to his shoulder and lets him cry his frustration, anger and fear. He holds him tight while he sob and blubbers about teams and work and injuries. He holds him tighter when he talks about his best friend almost dieing and how he can't live without him. He cups the boy's head with his strong hand and softly rocks them back and forth.

It takes several minutes for Shikamaru to regain his composure, but finally he wipes his face and pulls away. "Sorry…"

"It's fine, kid." He winks. "I'm here for that…"

"It's… It's the smoke, you know? It makes my eyes itchy…" He mumbles, turning back to the board. "Do you still want to play?"

"Yeah, sure." He gets back to the game and makes his move. "The smoke can do that…"

Asuma smiles to himself. He meant every single word. This kid did a great job in awful circumstances. And he'll be an awesome ninja someday. He's sure of that. He can handle the stress and he can control his emotions.

There is nothing wrong with crying from time to time. He'll be there to help him, to guide him, to wipe his tears and comfort his fears…

His kid we'll be fine… And he'll never tell him that he wasn't smoking during the last of their talk.


	13. This Concerned Girl of Mine

**I got a lot of requests for another story with Team Guy. This one was lost in the middle of my unfinished stories and I was finally able to complete and edit it. I hope you like it!**

 **I have requests for more Team 8 stories (Hi, Team 8 fans, that gave me so sweet reviews! I'm talking to you!) and I'm also working on that!**

 **Thank you for all of you reviews and keep those requests coming!**

* * *

She is the easy one, he muses. She's the perfect student: falling exactly in the middle of her two teammates natural abilities, with a strong sense of responsibility and duty, always eager to learn. She's also an amazing person: loving and gentle enough to deal with the boys, but strict and serious to put them in the right path, when needed.

To be completely honest, she's his right hand, his faithful helper and, to much people dismay, the second in command. She's able to come up with effective strategies in the heat of the moment, has great leadership skills and knows how to work with the individual capabilities of her team.

She's strong, focused, smart, brave, competent, reliable, talented, caring, affectionate, concerned, kind hearted, altruistic, empathetic… She's a perfect student and an amazing person...

And yet, she seems lost and forgotten. Her bouncy and kind personality, hides deep self-confidence issues and a lot of self-doubt.

Guy is much more attentive and concerned sensei that he usually shows. He may seem a distracted nut-case, but he always keeps an eye on each one of their students and knows them like the palm of his hands.

He knows how many fears, doubts, trust issues and self-deprecation are hidden behing Lee's loud mouth, Neji huge talent and Tenten sweet smile.

He knows how to work around their faults and flaws and how to strengthen their weaknesses.

But he knows that sometimes, not even his dedication and firm believe in hard work and encouragement can pass through deep emotional issues.

So, he waited and observed, trying to find the right moment, the perfect time to address the dark shadow living in his girl's eyes.

It is one of those gray days in Konoha. Not raining, yet, but the storm is surely approaching. They didn't have missions today, so they trained for a couple of hours, before calling it a day and leaving to find shelter in their own homes.

The boys leaved as soon as possibly. Lee needed to go to the hospital (Tsunade insists in weekly check-ups) and Neji eager to get into the safety of his own room before the storm hits (Guy is pretty sure that he'll end up at his door step soon enough).

Tenten, on the other hand, sat down against a tree, polishing her weapons and checking her scrolls for a bit longer. She gazes at the grey clouds in the horizon, seeming lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey there, my youthful girl! A coin for your thoughts?" He greets loudly, sitting next to her.

"Hey… Not worth that much…" She smiles softly. "Just thinking…"

"I figure that out…" He looks at the distance, lowering his voice. "About what?"

"I don't know…" She sighs. "Me… Us… The team…"  
"Any problems with the team? Is Neji being rude to you again? Or is Lee annoying you?"

"Nah, nothing like that… I'm just… Worried…"

"About what…?"

"About them. About us as a team." She lowers her eye. "About how much I can add to it…"  
"To the team?" She nods softly. "I think that without you, they would have kill each other a long time ago… You're the one who keep this team together. You balance us and keep us on track. We wouldn't be a team without you."

"And yet, they got hurt and I couldn't do anything!" She stresses out. "It's easy for you to talk. You can be there, do something, at least try to do something. I can't ever be with them when they need the most!"

"It's part of the job. You need to know how to work as a team and as individuals. You need to learn how to work with people outside the team. Sometimes, your skills will be needed and not theirs, sometimes will be the other way around."

"My skills? What skills? Throwing a couple of kunais and storing weapons in scrolls? Such valuable, unique skills…" She sniggers.

"Besides your amazing accuracy and proficiency with weapons and the unique ways you can use them, you have a lot of other skills. You have a quick wit, spot on strategies and are able to think on the run. And you have a lot of talent to work and talk with people. Maybe you didn't notice, but you're the one who has more missions completed, until now. Especially, the guarding duties and carrying on negotiations."

"Maybe… But that's beyond my point. When my team, my friends were in danger, I couldn't do anything! They almost got killed or permanently injured! And I couldn't help in any way!"

"Like I said, you can't always be there for them. And even if you could, sometimes no one can help. It's part of this life…"

She huffs in annoyance and shakes her head. "You'll never understand…"

"Try me…"

"Neji is a natural genius and Lee is just… unstoppable until he reaches his goal. They were born like that… I'm just… average…"

"And you think I can't understand or relate with that feeling?" She shrugs. "Did you ever look at my generation? Kakashi graduated at 6 years old. Asuma is one of the best close combat ninjas in this village. Kurenai is a resourceful and skilled genjutsu user. Compared to them, I'm not even average, I'm nothing."

"That's not true! They trust in you, they rely and respect you!"

"Why do you think I call Kakashi my eternal rival? He didn't even look at me until we are in our mid-teens! He thought I was a pathetic excuse of a shinobi."

"But now he considers you a friend…"  
"Yes, because I worked my way up to that. Every mission, every time we compete, every time we trained. I proved myself. I never gave up. That's what he respects in me. He and a lot of the others."

"Not giving up?"

"Being the best I can be. That's what you need to be. Your best. Not better than Neji or Lee. You need to be you. You need to work on you, to know your strengths and weaknesses, to get better and better every single day."

"And what if I can't help them? What if my best isn't enough to save them?"

"Then you'll know that you did all that you could do." He turns to look her in the eye. "Tenten, you're a smart girl. You need to understand that they didn't got hurt because of you. You weren't there! Not even me could help! It's hard, but it's part of this life. It's this damn job."

"Still hurts… I wish I could do something…"

"And you did. Actually, you do. Everyday, you help them. Everyday you care for them, you comfort them, you are there for them. You visited them in the hospital everyday, you stay at that surgery room door until they came out, you went to every therapy session with Lee, you encourage Neji so much." He gently ruffles her hair. "You are the one who keeps us together. You make my job so easy, girl. I don't thank you enough."

She blushes and smiles softly. "I'm all of that?"

"And a lot more…" He quietly says. "I'm really proud of you. We all are."

Tenten leans on her sensei and thinks for a moment. Maybe she's all of that. Maybe she's not all of that. Yet. But she'll be. She'll be her best. For them. For her crazy, complicated, troubled boys. They need her, after all, she can't disappoint them.


	14. This Thoughtful Boy of Mine

**Hi again! So, people asked for another Kiba moment and here it is! A little different from the usual on this collection, but I loved the way it turned out.**

 **I hope you'll like this one!**

 **I have a couple more chapters to write, to give everyone a chance to have a moment with their senseis and them I'll go wherever my imagination and your requests take me.**

 **Just a little side note: I have a couple of requests to do a Sasuke-Orochimaru or even a Sasuke-Kabuto shot. I'm sorry, but those will never happen. I hate, hate, HATE those two guys. They creep the life out of me and I can't think of anything remotely interesting happening between them and Sasuke. So, thanks, but no thanks.**

 **Besides that, keep your ideas coming, because you are THE BEST!**

* * *

Everything changes. That's the only thing he knows for sure. Everything changes so fast that makes his head spin.

It feels like yesterday he was fresh out of the academy, just a kid trying to prove himself. Just a kid, so full of fears and insecurities hidden behind a loudmouth and a cocky attitude.

And now he is… a man, he thinks… He's still full of fear and insecurities, he still has a loudmouth and a cocky attitude, but he learned… Oh, no one knows how much he actually learned.

It took so much time, so many hours of training, so many sleepless nights thinking on how to perfect a move, how to improve a jutsu, how to achieve the perfect timing.

He knows it and he's proud of it. Every time someone notices, every time someone compliments him or Akamaru, he swells with pride.

Three years. It took almost three years to achieve this level, to be completely in sync with his dog, to be one of the best trackers of Konoha, to hear the great Copy Nin compliment his skills.

But there are a lot of things that nobody knows. Nobody knows how hard it is for him to focus, how hard it is for him to ignore the background noises, smells and stimulus and keep focus on the target. Nobody notices the stares, the snickers, the whispers behind his back. Nobody sees the disdain and distrust when he's put in someone else's team.

Nobody admits it, especially now, but the ninja world is a man's world. And he is and he'll always be the boy who grew without a man. The boy who grew surrounded by women. The boy who hadn't anyone to teach him how to be a man.

So, he taught himself. He learned alone. And to be completely honest, he learned by watching the badass women around him. Because he is undeniable proud of them, even if he doesn't say that enough.

He is proud of his mother, the woman who raised two kids and a pack of ninken by herself. He is proud of his sister, the girls who keeps their family's dogs happy, strong and healthy.

And he is so much proud of his sensei, the woman who taught him half of everything he knows, who made him the man he is today, the woman that loves in silence, that worries in silence, that suffers in silence.

"Ah Akamaru… Everything changes so fast, my boy… So, so fast…"

It seems like it was yesterday that they graduated from academy, that they started as a team… And now, the team is falling apart.

Not like Kakashi's team with all that drama and feels and things. Team 8 is nothing like them. They are a strong knit, they complement each other, they grew together, but now… Now they are drifting apart.

It was a slow process, a few separated missions, every once in awhile. Then the number started to increase, to the point that they never worked together anymore.

The training sessions started to be less and less, because they were never in the village at the same time.

And now… Now everything changed forever.

With Asuma's death and Kurenai's pregnancy, the woman became more reclusive, just coming outside to go to the hospital, to do shopping and to visit the memorial.

And Shikamaru became so overprotective of her, that it was almost impossible to get five minutes alone with her.

Not that he's jealous or resentful. He understands them. He understands that she needs to focus on her baby. He understands that the jounin needs to honor his sensei's wishes.

Oh yes, a couple of years ago, Kiba would throw a fit over it, but now he understands them. He just misses his sweet, caring sensei. He just misses the training sessions, the missions with his team, the walks, the talks until they lost track of time.

He misses Hinata's soft giggle, Shino's almost inaudible chuckle and Kurenai's musical laugh. He misses sprawling in the grass, his head in Hinata's lap,hearing them talk about something. He misses the way Kurenai used to run her fingers in his hair when he was sad or angry. He misses the scolds that Shino gives when he thinks they are messing up.

He misses the good old times, when everything was so much easier, when the village wasn't half destroyed, when the war wasn't just around the corner.

And he misses not being worried all the time. Not worrying about Hinata, sweet, kind, gentle Hinata going all alone on mission, without a caring friend, an encouraging word. Not worrying about Shino, silent, closed down, introspective Shino going on missions with idiots that don't get him, that don't know how to work with him. Not worrying with Kurenai, strong, level-head, caring Kurenai alone in the village, pregnant and defenceless, with her heart shattered in so many pieces.

He misses the good old times, the easy times, the bright, happy times.

And that's why he's sitting here, lost in thought, in an uncharacteristic way. That's why he's here, anxiously waiting. That's why he's here, getting up and pacing around every five minutes, much to his old teammate amusement.

He's here, waiting with Shino and Shikamaru. The three of them anxious and nervous and worried. The three of them trying to conceal everything that runs in their heads.

They are here for the old times sake, waiting for the next change.

And when they are all about to run inside and demand for informations, Hinata comes over, a big smile in her face, happy tears glistening in her eyes and softly says: "They are fine. It's a girl."

And everything changes again. And Shino smiles and nods in approval, winking at him. And Shikamaru looks scared to death and chokes out: "Another woman?".

And Kiba just laughs and throws an arm around Hinata's shoulder and winks back at Shino.

Because somethings never change. And he'll always be the lucky guy surrounded by strong, self-sufficient, amazing women.


	15. These Worried Kids of Ours I

**Hey guys! I'm back! Life is a bit crazy right now, but I miss you and this bunch of cute ninjas, so much! Sorry for the long wait!**

 **This one was a request from a follower of this story. It's a lot different of what I'm used to do and I had a lot of trouble writting it. I hope not disappoint you! So, get ready for a lot of tears and angst and saddeness. I'll try to keep them as much in character as possible. Tell me what you think! (Please pay attention to the A.N. in the end of the chapter! It's really important!)**

* * *

Shikamary looks up and sighs. It's just a weird day in Konoha. The sky is heavy and grey, the air is hot and stale. A summer storm approaches, he knows that. By night, the sky will be opened by lightning and the house will shake with thunder. In the morning, everything will be bright and clear again, blue skies and fluffy clouds, green grass and chirping birds.

But right now, there is something heavy in the air, something almost unbearable.

And there is something else, something that he can't point a finger at, but something. Like there is something very wrong about to happen and that has nothing to do with the weather.

Quick footsteps and the scratch of claws warns him about who is approaching him. So much for the ninja stealth…

"Hoy, Shikamaru!" Kiba shouts. "Did you see Kurenai-sensei?"

"Me? She's your sensei, not mine…"

"Yeah, but when she goes all MIA on us, she's usually with your sensei…" Kiba smirks and winks. "And you're always glued to him, so…"

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru sighs. "No, I didn't see her… And now that I think about it… I didn't see Asuma in a while, too…"

"Hum… I bet they are locked in her house…"

"Don't be rude! They can be on a mission…"

"All of them?" Sasuke drops from a nearby tree. "Strange…"

The dog owner genin jumps back. "Hey, don't do that, jerk! What were you doing up ther?"

"Teaching that knucklehead how to be silent, before he get all of us killed…"

"Hoy, Sasuke-teme! I know that! No one heard me up here!" Naruto screams and jumps to the ground, next to his friends. "You were the first to show yourself!"

"On purpose…" Sasuke teases.

"You make a bunch of birds fly away. You really need to train those infiltration skills, Naruto…" Shikamaru looks at the Uchiha. "What do you mean by all of them?"

"Kakashi-sensei is on a mission, too… And Lee said that Guy-sensei is out of the village, too…" The blonde boy explains.

"Hum… That's weird…" Shikamaru seems a little worried. "If they are all in the same mission, it has to be something serious… Really, serious…"

"Well, we don't know if they are together, so…" Sasuke's train of thought is cut off by running footsteps and screams.

"Shikamaruuuuuu!"

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!"

They look at the dishevelled and clearly disturbed girls with concern.

"What?" Sasuke is the first to shake out of the initial shock. "What happened?"

They both start talking at the same time, trampling each other, in a worried mess of half-screeched words.

"Hummm, calm down! We can't understand anything that way! One at a time, troublesome girls…" Shikamaru shakes his head. "What happened, Ino?"

"Asuma… Asuma is hurt…" Ino spits out before throws herself in her teammate's arms. "He's really hurt!"

"How? What happened? Ino, talk to me!" The lazy ninja loses his composure.

"They were on a mission and… and something went wrong… They are all hurt… All of them…"

"What? Kurenai-sensei, too?" Kiba shakes Sakura by her shoulders. "Where are they?"

"Hey, Kiba, let her go! She's scared!" Naruto pushes him back and puts an arm around the girl's shoulders. "How do you know that, Sakura-chan?"

"We were leaving the library and saw them being rushed to the hospital…" The pinkette sobs. "There was so much blood, so much… Kakashi-sensei… Kakashi-sensei…"

"Kakashi, what, Sakura? What happened to him?" For the first time, Sasuke looks trully concerned and about to lose it. "Tell us!"

"Don't be a jerk, teme!" Naruto holds her protectively. "Sakura-chan, what happened to him?"

"I-I-I don't know…" She buries her face in her teammate shoulder. "But he was covered in blood and his eye was closed and his clothes were torn apart…"

"Okay, let's all calm down. And I mean, all! That includes you, Sasuke! Stop, right now!" Shikamaru scolds. "We need to find the rest of the teams and head to the hospital… And see what we can do…"

"What WE can do?" Kiba screams back. "We can't do anything! We aren't medic-nins! We weren't even there!"

"Shut up! We can be there now. Be there for them... " Sasuke looks up. "If the worst… If the worst happen… They shouldn't be alone…"

"Right, let's go! Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" Naruto conjures half a dozen clones. "Go tell the news to the others." The clones run in every direction.

"Ino, calm down. You're drowning me…" Shikamaru sadly smiles at her. "Asuma is a stubborn bastard, he won't die so easily, okay?"

"How can you know that? How can you be so sure?" The blonde girl cries at him. "He looked… he looked… so lifeless…"

"They are the best, Ino-chan! Shikamaru is right, they won't die on us like that!" Naruto tries to cheer her up...

"We saw Kakashi fight shinobi with just one hand, while reading that pervy book… He's tough too…" Sakura shakily states.

"That's the problem… Who was strong enough to do this damage…" Sasuke mutters. The girls dissolve into tears again and the blonde boy looks close to it, too.

"Hoy, how can you think about it right now? Don't you have a heart?" Kiba screams.

"Sasuke, shut up, it's not the time… We'll figure that out later…" Shikamaru sighs, trying to calm Ino. "Ino, come on, let's go, let's find out what happened and how they are…"

The Nara ninja holds his friend and looks up at the sky… Yes, he knew, he just knew that something would be wrong today… He just didn't expect something so wrong...

* * *

 **Clift hanger! Oh, bad KK, bad, bad KK! I promise I'll post another chapter very, very soon! Tell me if you like it, what kind of injuries you want them to have, who will recover faster, which kids will crumble and which will remain strong and collected... Ask away and I'll try to deliever! I'm here to please!)**


	16. These Worried Kids of Ours II

**Hi, people! I'm back! Thanks for all your reviews! I hope that you like the 2nd chapter of this! I think that this will have 3 parts, maybe 4! Tell me what you think about it!**

 **So, without more delay, here it is:**

* * *

When they got to the hospital. the others were already there. The boys shared the same somber looks, while the girls fall in each other's arms in a crying mess. Even Lee was silent and serious for a change.

"Anyone knows what happened?" Shikamaru asks.

"They were on a top secret mission in the Mist Village… Recovering a scroll with a forbidden technique that they stole from Konoha... " Neji clarifies. "The team was ambush just as they were about to exit the Mist… The Anbu back up team save them just in time…"  
"But they are in a pretty bad shape…" Shino states. "That's all we could find out… No one talks to us… Tsunade-sama was called…"

The girls gasp in unison, the severity of the information finally sinking in… If the medic-nins had to call the Hokage, the senseis are in real danger.

Naruto throws an arm around Sakura's shoulders. "If Tsunade baa-chan is with them, they'll be fine! She's the best, Sakura-chan, don't worry! She'll get them in shape in no time!"

"Yeah! Naruto is right!" Lee screams. "She'll save our senseis!"

"They were attacked by the Mist! Do you know what that means?" Sakura sobs.

"Hun? No…" The blonde boy says, sheepishly.

"They attack to kill…" Neji explains. "No prisoners, no survivors… They might be the lucky exception, but they got it rough, that's for sure…"

The girls dissolve in sobs, while the boys fall silent. All of them know how bad this is. They want to believe that their senseis will fight and survive, but, in the end, they are just a bunch of 12-year-olds, lost and scared without their mentors.

They are more than teachers, they are the first father or mother figure they had in their lives, the first grown-ups to truly care about them, the first people who worried about their well-being. To some of the kids, their senseis are the only people who check on them when they are sick or comfort them when they are scared.

The teachers are important, even for the kids with happy and normal families. They are their confidants, the ones they could tell everything and anything.

None of the genin could imagine their lives without them…

So, they sat there, in that cold and sterile waiting room, wishing for news and praying for the best. The girls' sobs subside into silent tears, the look on the boys' faces dark and closed.

Iruka enter the room a couple of hours later and sigh deeply at the sight. His kids, his happy, bright, bubbly, loud kids were in complete silence, huddle together, clinging to each other like lifelines. It would be a cute sight in other circumstances.

Team 8 was sitting almost on top of each other, the boys hugging Hinata from each side, whispering comfort words to her. Her head was on Kiba's shoulder, the boy resting his own head on top of her's. Shino was leaning close to his teammates, his arm around Hinata and his hand on Kiba's back.

Team Guy wasn't the huggable type, but they were close, shoulder by shoulder. Tenten was rubbing Lee's back in a soothing pattern, while the boy cries silent tears. Neji was sitting up straight and tense, his mouth in a strict line, a concerned look in his eyes. He was a lot closer to his teammates than usually, patting their shoulders or hands, now and then, in an attempt to comfort them. Or to seek his own comfort…

Team 7 was a complicated team from the beginning. They were too different to work well together and Iruka knows how hard Kakashi works everyday to build a true team. But right now, no one would say that. Sakura was crying on Sasuke's shoulder, the raven haired boy holding her close, while Naruto hugs both of them, his head resting on top of Sakura's and his hand lies on Sasuke's shoulder.

Team 8 was a team before they were born. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was supposed to end up together since day one and in a time like this, it shows. They were holding each others' hands, their heads close, whispering quietly. Ino is crying in silence and Chogi has tear tracks down his cheeks. Shikamaru's eyes shine with unshed tears, but he keeps his calm, trying to comfort his friends.

Iruka sighs again. "Hey kids…" He greets. "You should go home, try to get some rest… Your parents are looking for you…"

"We can't go, Iruka-sensei! We have to wait for them... " Naruto says. "We need to know that they… that they are…" He trails off.

"We need to know that they are alive…" Shikamaru finishes his sentence. "That they'll survive…"

"I know, but your parents are worried, you're supposed to be home hours ago… It's way past dinner time, kids…" Iruka kneels to at eye-level with the children. "And you need to try to sleep… This could take a lot of time, hours, maybe days… There is no point in being here… You'll be exhausted…"

"We won't leave, not without them!" Sakura shakes her head furiously. "We can't… We can't…" She starts to cry all over again.

"Iruka-sensei…" Hinata soft voice surprises all of them. "If… If… If they are alive, they can feel us, I know that… We need to be here…"

The older man shakes his head. "I know you are worried, but you can't be here all night. We don't even know what is their condition… And you sitting here, over-tiring yourselves won't do any good to them…"

"They can't be alone… It's just… wrong…" Shino says.

"And if the worst happens…" Neji spokes. "No one should die alone."

The girls gasp and start to cry again, the boys send him death glares. "You can't say those things! Not like that!" Shikamaru scolds him. "You're scaring the girls!"

"Yeah, Neji, shut up!" Kiba screams. "Don't say that! Don't even say that! They'll be okay!"

"You can't know that for sure… We need… We need to be prepared…"

"Stop it! Stop it! Just stop it!" Ino jumps up and stomps her foot. "Just shut up, all of you! We are scared, we are all scared! We don't know anything, they could be alive and getting better, they could be, they could be…" She trails off. "We don't know…"

"She's right…" A voice comes from the door. "You don't know anything and you shouldn't speculate." Tsunade approaches the group. "But I have news."

All the kids jump off the chairs and start to talk at the same time. The older woman tries to calm them down a couple of times before losing her temper.

"SILENCE!" The Hokage roars. "You're in a hospital! Be quiet!"

"They are just children, Hokage-sama." Iruka tries to placate her anger. "They are scared and tired and eager for information… Just have a little patience with them…"

"Yeah, sorry, Tsunade baa-chan…" Naruto's voice is an almost inaudible whisper. "We just want to know…"

Tsunade breaths deeply. "Fine, I'm sorry… But let me talk, okay? I'll answer all your questions, but you need to let me talk…"

"Are they alive?" Kiba can't restrain himself, making the woman sigh again.

"Yes, they are. All of them. They are alive and fighting hard for their lives, as usual…" A dark shadow crosses her eyes. "But they are in bad shape. Kurenai was impaled by some sort of weapon, a very large sword, for the look of it. She lost a lot of blood, but we were able to patch her up and for now, she just needs fluids and a lot of rest. I sedate her, but she should be wake in the morning." She looks straight at Team 8. "You can go home and get some rest. Come back tomorrow and if… listen to me! If she's awake, you can visit her."

The whole team sighs in relief and Hinata buries her face in her hands, crying happy tears.

"And Asuma? How is him?" Shikamaru shakily asks. A shiver runs down his spine. If Kurenai was hurt so badly, Asuma probably lost his mind and put himself in harm's way…

"He took one for the team, that's for sure. I couldn't count how many broken bones, cuts and wounds he sustained. He was hanging by a thread when he got here…" Tsunade takes pity of the scared children. "He's alive, okay? Beaten and exhausted, but alive. We fix the broken bones and the more severe wounds. His vitals are stable, but I can't say when he'll wake up… Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a couple of days. I'll let you visit him tomorrow, if he's still stable, but just for a couple of minutes. You can check on him and then you have to let him rest, okay?"

The trio just nod sadly. Those aren't the news that they want to hear, but are better than the alternative, at least he's alive and fighting…

"Okay, Team Guy… He's… Well, he opened the 7th Gate, so he's almost out of chakra and has a lot of broken bones. But he was awake and talking when he got here, I don't even know he manage that. So, we fixed him and I give him a mild sedative, just to keep him in bed… You can see him in the morning, but don't rile him up! He needs his rest and I'll tie him to bed if I have to!" Tsunade warns the relieved kids.

Lee breaks down in sobs and hugs Tenten. Neji just collapses back in his chair, resting his head on his hands.

"Tsunade baa-chan… Is Kakashi-sensei…?" Naruto can finish his sentence.

She bows her head and looks defeat. For a moment, she looks her true age, like she had aged decades in a few hours.

"I'm not going to lie to you… He's… He's struggling… He was the last one standing and in Guy's words, he fought like he wasn't afraid to die." She shakes her head."He was out of chakra and lost more blood than anyone should. I did my best, but… We have to wait… He's unconscious… I can't say when he'll wake up… Or if he'll wake up…"

Sakura starts to cry and cling to a shocked Sasuke. Naruto just looks to his feet, tears falling down his whiskered cheeks.

Tsunade puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Naruto, I did my best. I'll do everything to wake him up, but we have to wait to see… I'm really sorry…"

A heavy silence fills the room, the only sounds are the quiet sobs of the girls… Suddenly, all of them realize how close they were to lost their mentors.

And for Teams 7 and 8 that isn't out of woods yet… Their strong, tough senseis are hanging by a thread… And realizing that they aren't invincible is too much…

Tonight, against Tsunade and Iruka's orders, they all stay in that cold waiting room. They sit there together, the Konoha 12, as they are known. They sit and wait, none of them sure of what tomorrow will bring… They just know that everything will be different...

* * *

 **So, what do you think? The Mist was the only enemy I could think that could do so much damage... I hope I didn't disappointed you!**


	17. These Worried Kids of Ours III

**HI everyone! I'm back! Finally, right? So, this is it! The final chapter in this story... Finally you'll know how our favorite mentors are!**

 **Next chapter will be from the senseis's point of view and their thougths during their hospital stay. I hope you like this.**

 **Let me know your thoughts and requests, please!**

* * *

The morning came grey and somber. A cold wind shakes the trees, the rain keeps falling in a steady, monotone rhythm.

"It's like the sky is crying for them, too…" Neji approaches the window and leans on the windowsill.

"They have so many people up there… Maybe they are really crying for them…" Shikamaru sighs and rubs his eyes.

"You should get some rest, take your team to home and try to get a couple of hours of sleep… You're exhausted…" The Hyuuga softly says.

"I can't… I won't be able to get them out of here, not even with a shadow binding jutsu…" The genious shakes his head. "Besides I want to be here… He doesn't have anyone else… None of them have…"

"Yeah… That's the problem, right?" Sasuke gets close to them, arms crossed and looking in the distance. "They don't have anyone, they don't have nothing to lose… That's why they fight like that… Like... "

"Like they aren't afraid of dying…" Shikamaru completes the other boy's sentence. "Those morons…"

Suddenly, the lazy shinobi loses his temper and punches the wall, making the other two jump and waking up a couple of the others.

"Those idiots! Why do they keep doing these things? Why? They don't think about us? They don't care about what we feel? Look what they have done!"

"Shika, it's not their fault…" Chogi voice breaks the stunned silence. "It's this job… They chose it… We chose it… It's time to face the consequences… This is our life…"

"Dying is part of the shinobi's life, it's our destiny… We can't fight it…" Neji states calmly, sitting down next to Hinata. "Sooner or later we'll dye…"

"Again with the 'it's our fate' talk, Neji?" Naruto says from across the room. "Maybe I have to knock some sense into you again… Last time it worked nicely…" He smiles sadly.

The rest of the kids laugh at his words, first with soft and almost silent giggles, then full blown hysterical laughs.

Tsunade enters the room and shakes her head, these will be really hard days around here…

"Hey, kids! Shush now!" Twelve heads snap in her direction, silence filling the room again. "I'll let you see your senseis now… But remember! No screaming, no crying, no nothing! Behave yourselves!"

They all nod in unison, coming close to her, waiting for instructions.

"Okay, teams 7 and 8, follow me. They are in ICU, so you'll only get 5 minutes in the room." She instructs, serious, but gentle. "Wash your hands and put a gown, mask and gloves on. Go ahead."

They suit up with somber faces and eyes glistening with tears. The kids try to prepare to what will be behind those doors, but none of them knows what to expect.

Tsunade waits for them at the door. "Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, you'll go first, okay? He's in the first curtain. Remember: he's hooked up to a lot of machines and tubes. Asuma also is. So, don't be scared. They are keeping them alive and free of pain. Oh, and try to be as silent as possible, please…"

They approach his sensei bed and brace themselves for the shock. Kakashi is surrounded by wires and tubes, in his arms, in his mouth, glued to his chest. The bottom half of his face is covered by the white sheet and for the first time,none of them wants to take a peek behind it.

Their sensei looks too fragile and helpless. He looks like he's in a limbo, not dead, but not quite alive.

A soft gasp escapes Sakura's lips and she leans close to her teammates. Naruto throws a shaky arm over her shoulders and silent tears roll down his face. Sasuke looks down, incapable of keep looking at his sensei's immobile form… That brings back too many memories.

"See that monitor over there?" Tsunade quietly points at it, her voice muffled by the mask she's wearing". "That line is his heart. As long as it keeps like that, steadily going up and down, it's okay. It means that he's alive and fighting. He's recovering. You just need to give him time to get better…"

"Will he be better?" Naruto asks. "Are you sure? Can you promise that?"

"Naruto…" Tsunade sighs. "I can't promise you anything, not yet, but… He's trying, he's fighting, so… You have to believe in him… We have to believe in him…"

"Can I… Can I go there? I… I want to tell him something… I'll be quiet, I promise…" The blonde asks. "Can he hear me?"

"Yeah, fine, go ahead. But be quiet, please…" The woman nods. "Yes, he probably can hear you."

The boy walks over to the bed and leans over his sensei's head. His voice is quiet and soft, almost inaudible.

"Hi Kakashi-sensei, can you hear me?" He stretches a shaky hand and let's it hovering over the man's hand, looking to Tsunade for approval. She nods and he carefully holds it. "We are here, okay? We'll always be here! You have to keep fighting, do you hear me? We need you! So, you have to come back to us. Please…"

Tsunade's voice breaks the silence. "We have to go, now. He needs to rest and your friends want to see Asuma, too… Come on. I'll let you visit him again tomorrow…"

They follow her to the first room and throw away the protections, while the other team gets dressed. Tomorrow looks too far away, like in another life or dimension, but it's all they can do, they'll have to wait… In the limbo, like Kakashi...

Team 8 it's a totally different team from team 7, the medic-nin doesn't feel the need to repeat the rules again, so she watches in silence, while they approach Asuma's bed.

"Hey there, Asuma… You got yourself in a troublesome situation, hun?" Shikamaru whispers. "Try to get better, okay?"

"Yeah, he's right, this time…" Ino says. "See what you did to us? You make me agree with this lazy ass…"

"Good job, sensei, you stop their bickering!" Chogi smiles.

"It only took me to almost die, right?" Asuma's voice is raspy and shaky. "I'm fine, stop worrying…"

"Asuma!" Three voices shout at the same time, followed by Tsunade's angry shushing.

"Shhhh, kids… Or the Hokage will kill you…" Asuma looks at her. "How is Kurenai?"

Shikamaru smirks "She's fine. You shouldn't do this thing, idiot! It's troublesome!"

"It's the job… And I'm fine… I just need to get out of bed and…"

"No, you don't!" Ino cuts him off. "You need to lie in there and recover. You look like a mummy with all those bandages, you'll not be walking around anytime soon! I'll have Shikamaru shadow-binding into that bed if I have too!"

"You sound like Tsunade… But fine… I'll stay nice and put…"

"Yes, you will. And these kids need to go and let you get some rest. I'll let Kurenai visit you later, if she's up to it. Now, you need to sleep and I need to escort the rest of the kids to their sensei's rooms… And finally, escort ALL of them out of the building and get some rest myself…"

"How are they?" Asuma asks. "When I blacked out, Kakashi and Guy were still fighting…"

"Guy is fine, banged up, but fine. Kakashi… he's fighting…"

Asuma nods his understanding. "That man… He fights like he has nothing to lose… When he recovers, I'll knock some senses into that stubborn head… Poor kids…"

"Yeah, yeah, you're a bunch of idiots. All of you!" Shikamaru says. "Now, get some rest! We'll be here tomorrow…"

The boys wave goodbye and Ino kisses his cheek. They are finally able to breath, to get some rest. Exhaustion takes over them and they stumble out of the ICU and collapse in the waiting room chairs.

Tsunade calls the rest of the kids and they follow her, like a sad bunch of ducklings.

"Okay kids, Guy is in the room 391 and Kurenai in the 392, go ahead…" She smiles.

Team Guy enters the room and exhales deeply. His sensei is sitting up in the bed, a book in his head.

"Hi, my youthful students! How are you in this fine morning?"

"Fine? Fine? How can you say that?" Tenten loses her temper! "You broke 25 bones! 25! You could have died! We were up all night and you say that this is fine morning?"

"Tenten, don't scream…" Neji sighs. "But she's right… You should be more careful… We were worried sick!"

"GUY-SENSEI! You're alive!" Lee throws himself over his sensei body, tears streaming down his cheek. "I knew you would be okay! I knew it!"

"LEE!" Tente screams. "Get out of him! He has broken ribs!"

"Sorry, Guy-sensei! I'll do 900 push-ups with one hand to punish myself!"

"No, you won't, Lee! It's fine." Guy puts a hand on his student shoulders and beckons the other two, to sit on his bed. "And you're right. I know I worried you and I'm sorry, but I did what I had to do. When you or my fellow teammates are in danger, I defend you. It's my job and it's what I am. This will probably happen again. One day, it might kill me."

"Don't say those things, Guy-sensei!" Lee cries out.

"It's the truth, my boy. I would kill and die for you. All of you!" Guy looks around at his kids. "But I want you to know something. I don't fight like this because I haven't nothing to lose. I fight because I have a lot to lose! Understood?"

They nod, letting his words sink in. It's weird to see his goofy sensei this serious, but they get his words. They understand that this is the biggest proof of love and care that he can give them.

So, they sit there in silence, basking in each other's company, thankful to be together again. When the last team enters the last room, they all sigh in relief. Their sensei is sitting on the bed, arguing with a nurse.

"Kurenai-sensei…" Hinata softly calls. "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, hi kids. Come here!" She sits back and pulls herself together. "I'm fine. Actually, I was telling this nurse that I'm perfectly healthy and I can go home now."

"Home? You want to go to Asuma's room." Kiba deadpans.

"Hun, what?" She sputters. "Well, I need to check on him… them… All of them, I mean…"

"His out of the woods." Shino says, sitting in the edge of the bed. "Guy is okay too. Kakashi is fighting… You can rest now…"

"Oh… Oh… He is?" Kurenai blushes. "Asuma, I mean? Is he fine? That idiot almost died…"

"Yes, Kurenai-sensei, he is okay, awake and talking." Hinata holds her sensei's hand. "Hokage-sama said that you can visit him… them later, if you want…"

"That's good, that's good…" The woman sighs and looks at her students for the first time. "And you, how are you? You look exhausted..."

"How are we, you ask? We are worried and tired… But we're fine…" Shino answers.

Kurenai smiles. "I bet you are… But I'm fine now, okay? You can go home and rest now…"

"Yeah, we'll go home… Poor Akamaru is sick and tired of this hospital…" Kiba says. "But we can wait a little longer… We can keep you company for a bit…"

"Yeah, that will be good." She smiles.

Hinata rests her head in Kurenai's shoulders and Kiba lays his on her legs. Shino sits on the chair and holds her hand. That's how Tsunade finds him a couple of minutes later, the four of them sleeping. She smiles and let's them be… A few minutes more won't hurt…

For now, she has another mission on her hands… Send another nine kids home… And that will be a hard thing to accomplish...

* * *

 **Last, but not least a shoutout to my follower GoldenJone! Thanks for your nice words and keep your requests and comments coming! And remember, there's allways something to look forward!**


	18. This Loving Sensei of Ours

**I'm back! Thanks for all your ideas and comments and requests! You're awesome!**

 **So here it is the fourth part of the story. The first one from the senseis point of view.**

 **This turn out a lot bigger than I initially planned, but I love the way it turned out. I hope you like it!**

 **See you next time!**

* * *

Sheer, blinding, unbearable pain... That was his first thought.

End, finally the end was near... Thar was his next though.

His kids, how could he leave his kids? That was his last thought, before the darkness engulfed him.

If this is what death looks like, he would rather be alive. The pain was still intolerable. He could sense the light behind his closed eyelids, blazing white light, too much light. He could feel hands poking and proding with needles and sensors. Hands covered by latex gloves, cold hands, expert hands.

This isn't the "other side", he was alive... He survived... Again...

He sighed deeply behind the oxygen mask and winced. Breathing hurts. Trying to open his eyes hurts. Trying to move hurts. Everything hurts...

"Shhhh, be still..." Tsunade spoke softly next to him. "You really did a number on yourself... Be still, I'll sedate you in a minute... You'll be okay, just keep fighting."

He doesn't want to fight. Not anymore. He just want to be free of this pain, free of this world. He just want to go to sleep and never wake up again.

He felt something tugging the line on his right hand, a cold liquid running through his veins and the darkness swallowing him again...

His kids, how could he never see them again? And the darkness flooded him again.

Someone is standing in the room. He felt the sliding door open and close, soft feet walking in. He heard gasps and sighs, the shuffling of clothes. He can feel the chakra of more than one person.

He concentrates, he knows these chakra signatures... From where? From who?

He smiles inwardly. Cold, composed, smouthly running all through the body in an almost blue line of chakra. Sasuke's. Hot, all over the place, a red line rushing through the chakra lines. Naruto's. Warm, controlled, a pinkish string of chakra, concentrating on her hands and feet. Sakura's.

His kids... They are here.

He wants to reach to them, to hold their hands, to talk, to show them that he's alive. But every part of his body was heavy, glued to the bed.

 _"See that monitor over there?" Tsunade quietly points at it, her voice muffled by the mask she's wearing". "That line is his heart. As long as it keeps like that, steadily going up and down, it's okay. It means that he's alive and fighting. He's recovering. You just need to give him time to get better…"_

 _"Will he be better?" Naruto asks. "Are you sure? Can you promise that?"_

 _"Naruto…" Tsunade sighs. "I can't promise you anything, not yet, but… He's trying, he's fighting, so… You have to believe in him… We have to believe in him…"_

 _"Can I… Can I go there? I… I want to tell him something… I'll be quiet, I promise…" The blonde asks. "Can he hear me?"_

 _"Yeah, fine, go ahead. But be quiet, please…" The woman nods. "Yes, he probably can hear you."_

 _The boy walks over to the bed and leans over his sensei's head. His voice is quiet and soft, almost inaudible._

 _"Hi Kakashi-sensei, can you hear me?" He stretches a shaky hand and let's it hovering over the man's hand, looking to Tsunade for approval. She nods and he carefully holds it. "We are here, okay? We'll always be here! You have to keep fighting, do you hear me? We need you! So, you have to come back to us. Please…"_

 _Tsunade's voice breaks the silence. "We have to go, now. He needs to rest and your friends want to see Asuma, too… Come on. I'll let you visit him again tomorrow…"_

He hears them. He wants to answer to Naruto. He wants to thank them, to say that he'll fight, to promise that he'll come back to them. But he can't, he just can't.

He hears them leave the room.

He swears to come back to them, he swears to survive.

His kids, they need him. And he falls asleep.

Next time, he's awake, he can finally open his eyes.

He's in ICU, wires and tubes and machines and beeping noises surrounding him.

He can hear Asuma talking softly to someone next to his bed, probably Kurenai or one of his kids, judging from the warm tone in his voice.

He sees that he's alone, a curtain around his bed giving him some sense of provacy.

He's aching all over the place. His muscles are sore and heavy, his ribs hurt like hell, breathing feels like his lungs are on fire.

The tube on his mouth makes him cough and gag. He hears the beeping speed up and the door opens.

Tsunade rushes to his side. "Shhhh... Calm down, Kakashi. I'll pull this out of you in a second. Just breath calmly through your mouth, nice and steady... Yeah, just like that..." He hears her putting the gloves on and feels her grabbing the tube. "Okay, now take a deep breath and cough. 1,2,3, now!"

He coughs and gags when she pulls that awfull thing out, trying to catch his breath.

She smiles softly at him and gives him a cup of water.

"That's it. This part is over. Nice to see you awake again... How do you feel?"

"Like hell..." He croaks. "How are my kids?"

Tsunade flashes a found smile. "Mother-hen... You are a bunch of idiotic mother-hens..." She checks his vitals while she talks. "They are fine... Well, as fine as they can be, giving the situation... They barely leave the waiting room, this week..."

"Week? I was out for a week?"

"Six days to be precise... You really get in a lot of trouble this time..." She shakes his head. "You worried us for a bit... But I'm glad you're awake and responsive..."

"Can I see them?"

"Kakashi... You were in comma for almost a week, I have to give you five blood transfusions and replace all of your chakra supply..." She sighs. "You need to get some rest, to be a little more strong before that bunch of roudy kids comes in here, screaming and crying and trampling over each other..."

"I need to see them..." He coughed. "I need... I need to tell them..."

"Shhh... Slow down..." She sooths him. "I'll let you see them, BUT you have to promise to behave! You can't do efforts or talk too much, understood?"

He just nodded. She puts his mask back on, helps him sit up and walks through the door.

She came back a few minutes later, the kids trailling behind her.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto squeacks. "You're up!"

Tsunade shakes her head and tells him to be quiet. Again... The kid blushes and looks down, mumbling his apologies.

"Go ahead, you can go to him." Tsunade smiles... She was to harsh on the kid, poor thing...

They approach the bed, hesitant and shy... He smiles, they look so young and scared.

"Come here, I'm fine." His voice is a little rough, but he smiles to them. "You won't hurt me."

"How are you, Kakashi?" Sasuke bluntly asks.

"Alive and kicking, kid. I'll be up soon enough!"

"Don't do something like this again, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura pleads. "We need you!"

"I know, kids, I know..." He nods... "I'm sorry that I scared you..."

"Just... Don't do that again... Please..." The quiet request of his blonde, hyperactive student almost broke his heart. "I don't know what I would do without you..." He whispers...

"Come here, kids." He prompts, stretching his left arm, the one free of wires and tubes. "Sit here with me..."

Tsunade opens her mouth to protest, but the relieved and eager expression in the children's faces silences her.

She watchs in silence as they gently settle around his sensei, Sakura and Naruto leaning in the top of the bed, their heads gently resting on his sensei shoulders, and Sasuke at the feet of the bed, arms crossed over his chest, before Kakashi coaxes him to come close and to lay his head on his legs.

She watch, a sweet smile dancing on her lips, as they nestle together, a simultaneous and contempt sigh escaping their lips.

She shakes her head and leaves the room when they fall asleep. curled up together, relishing in each other presence.

"Thanks, Tsunade-sama..."

"You're welcome, Kakashi... Sleep tight..."

Sheer, blinding, overwhelming tenderness... That is his first thought.

End, finally the end of this nightmare is near... Thar was his next though.

His kids, how could he live without his kids? That was his last thought, before sleep engulfes him.


End file.
